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YOU  DEAR  OLD  FATHER!”  SHE  CRIED 


AN  AMERICAN  GIRL 

IN  KOREA 


ANNIE  M 
BARNES 


znuthor  of 
? Little 
.of  the  Rrt?  “ 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

r 

j OCT  1 6 2007 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Illustrated  by 

CARL  STREHLAU 

Tshe  Penn  Publishing  Company* 


COPYRIGHT 
19  05  BY 
THE  PENN 
PUBLISHING 
COMPANY 


To  My  Friend 
Sadie 

Who , in  my  opinion , is 
Better  than  a hundred  boys 


Contents 


I No  Girls  Wanted 7 

II  The  Man  with  the  Amber  Eyes  , . 24 

III  Out  Through  the  South  Gate  . . 38 

IV  The  Mysterious  Head  Poleman  . . 52 

V  “The  River  of  Golden  Sands”  . . 67 

VI  Arrested 85 

VII  The  Race  for  the  Kwan-ja  . . . 100 

VIII  Persistency  Rewarded 117 

IX  A Disappearance 129 

X Imprisoned 143 

XI  The  Mourning  Stranger  ....  155 

XII  The  Conference  at  Kat-seb’s  . . . 167 

XIII  Music’s  Entrancing  Power  . . . . 178 

XIV  Margaret’s  Startling  Discovery  . 193 

XV  The  Flag  of  the  Philippa  ....  210 

XVI  A Catastrophe 221 

XVII  The  Face  in  the  Moonlight  . . . 232 

XVIII  The  Startling  Effect  of  a Name  . 253 

XIX  Little  Golden  River 269 

XX  In  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages  . . 286 

XXI  The  Judgment  of  the  Buddha 
3 


3°4 


4 


Contents 


XXII  The  Cell  of  Yo-do-ki 318 

XXIII  In  the  Underground  Passageways  . 336 

XXIV  The  Voice  Through  the  Grating  . 353 

XXV  The  Opening  of  the  Door  . . . 369 

XXVI  The  Last  of  the  Chang-sop  . . . 386 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


CHAPTER  I 

NO  GIRLS  WANTED 

“ Oh,  we’re  going  to  have  a great  time,” 
cried  Arthur.  “ Father  says  we’re  going  all 
the  way  to  the  Diamond  Mountains.” 

“ Yes,”  added  Stephen,  “ and  we’ll  visit 
that  old  monastery  up  there — the  one  with 
the  famous  Marble  Pagoda.” 

“ Oh,  I say,  Meg,  it’s  a pity  you  can’t  go,” 
Arthur  exclaimed. 

“ Why,  isn’t  Margaret  going  ? ” asked  Cousin 
Wilbur,  as  he  closed  the  book  he  was  reading 
and  came  over  to  the  others. 

“ No;  how  could  she,  Wilbur?  ” said  Arthur. 
“ Of  course  we’ll  miss  her  dreadfully.  But 
you  see  it  will  be  such  a rough  trip ; not  the 
thing  for  girls,  at  all.” 

“ Oh,  indeed,  Master  Arthur,  I like  that,” 
began  Margaret,  her  eyes  snapping,  but  Wil- 
bur Ames  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder. 

“ Now,  Meg,  don’t  you  mind  him,”  he  said. 

7 


8 An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Let  me  handle  him.  It’s  not  such  a rough 
trip,  Arthur.  The  country  we  will  pass 
through  is  almost  free  now  from  wild  ani- 
mals, and  the  people  are  quiet,  peaceful  coun- 
try folk.  So  there’s  no  great  danger  that  I 
can  see.” 

“ But  we  are  to  camp  at  times,  and  that’s 
roughing  it,  as  you  know,”  protested  Arthur. 
“ There  is  no  one  who  wants  Meg  to  go  more 
than  I do.  You  believe  that,  don’t  you, 
Meg?”  and  he  wound  his  arm  about  her 
waist  as  he  spoke,  and  looked  at  her  archly. 
“ But  it  would  make  us  feel  very  badly  to  see 
you  subjected  to  all  manner  of  unpleasant  ex- 
periences.” 

“ Pshaw ! Arthur,”  exclaimed  Stephen 
again,  “ you  talk  as  though  a sampan  trip  up 
the  Han  River  in  Korea  in  this  year,  1902, 
was  as  terrible  as  taking  a journey  to  the 
wilds  of  Africa.  I am  sure  Margaret  could 
go  well  enough,  if  only  she  had  a girl  com- 
panion.” 

“ Well,”  said  Wilbur  Ames,  “ we  won’t 
talk  about  it  now.  It’s  time  for  us  to  go  and 
meet  your  father,  boys.  You  know  he’s  go- 
ing to  the  market-place  to  see  about  getting 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


9 


the  polemen  for  the  journey.  So  put  on  your 
hats,  and  come  along,  if  you’re  going.  And 
never  you  mind,  Meg,”  he  added.  “ Perhaps 
there  will  be  a way  yet.” 

Margaret,  Arthur,  and  Stephen  Vance,  fif- 
teen, seventeen,  and  fourteen  years  old  re- 
spectively, were  the  children  of  an  American 
missionary  residing  in  Seoul,  the  Korean 
capital.  The  Rev.  Edward  Vance  had  worked 
faithfully  for  his  church  and  for  the  cause  in 
which  his  heart  was  fully  enlisted,  with  the 
result  that  his  mission  was  now  in  a most 
flourishing  condition. 

For  two  years  past  a correspondence  had 
been  going  on  between  Mr.  Vance  and  his 
Board  at  home  with  reference  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a branch  mission  at  some  point  up 
the  Han  River,  that  noble  stream,  which,  ris- 
ing in  Kang-won-Do  province,  thirty  miles 
from  the  Sea  of  Japan,  flows  almost  across  the 
entire  country  ere  it  falls  into  the  sea  at 
Chemulpo. 

The  country  was  known  to  be  not  only 
fertile  but  healthful,  and  the  people  very  or- 
derly and  industrious.  Moreover,  they  had 
been  for  some  time  pleading  for  a chapel,  a 


io  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


school,  and  a missionary  all  their  own.  Two 
or  three  times  Mr.  Vance  had  arranged  to 
make  the  trip,  with  Dr.  Griffin,  a young  med- 
ical missionary  in  Seoul,  but  each  time  some- 
thing had  prevented.  He  was  in  the  midst 
of  these  last  preparations  when  something  oc- 
curred which  caused  him  not  only  to  hasten 
all  the  arrangements,  but  to  change  the 
plan  of  them  considerably.  This  was  the  un- 
expected arrival  in  Seoul,  from  the  United 
States,  of  his  favorite  nephew,  Wilbur  Ames. 
He  was  now  in  his  twentieth  year,  and  had 
just  finished  his  college  course,  but  in  doing 
so  had  seriously  impaired  his  health.  His 
physician  advised  travel,  so  to  Korea  Wilbur 
came,  drawn  there  by  the  presence  of  his  un- 
cle’s family,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  six 
years. 

When  Mr.  Vance  learned  of  his  nephew’s 
desire  to  spend  much  of  his  time  out  of  doors 
and  to  grow  sturdy  again,  a brilliant  thought 
struck  him. 

“ We’ll  hire  a larger  sampan,”  he  said  to 
his  wife,  “ double  the  polemen  and  stock  of 
provisions,  and  take  the  boys  and  Wilbur. 
Moreover,”  he  added,  his  face  growing 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


1 1 


brighter,  “ we’ll  make  it  a six  weeks’  trip  in- 
stead of  three,  and  we’ll  extend  the  trip  to 
the  Diamond  Mountains.  There ! that  will 
be  entertainment  and  profit  enough  for  the 
youngsters  to  do  them  a year,  I think  ! ” 

Thus  it  was  that  the  plans  had  been  per- 
fected, greatly  to  the  joy  of  Arthur  and 
Stephen  Vance  and  to  the  delight  of  Wilbur. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  the  mis- 
sionary’s family  consisted  of  his  wife,  her 
sister,  Miss  Philippa  Waldren,  a young  lady 
of  twenty-six,  and  Ethel,  aged  seven,  the  baby 
of  the  family. 

The  ladies  were  to  remain  at  the  mission 
compound,  for  neither  of  them  had  a fancy 
for  such  a trip  as  was  contemplated.  Besides, 
there  was  good  reason  why  one  of  them  would 
have  regarded  it  as  a most  sorrowful  journey. 
They  could  be  perfectly  safe  and  comfortable 
during  Mr.  Vance’s  absence,  as  there  were 
other  missionaries  and  their  wives  resident 
at  the  compound.  Besides,  the  Vance  family 
had  the  services  of  two  very  excellent  native 
servants,  Nak-Tong  and  Mokpo. 

Mr.  Vance  met  Wilbur  and  the  boys  at  the 
entrance  of  the  compound,  and  walked  with 


i2  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


them  toward  the  market-place.  “We  must 
get  our  polemen  at  once,”  he  said,  “ for  we 
start  in  a week.  It’s  a pity  the  three  we  had  i 
engaged  left  us  so  in  the  lurch.  They  seemed 
sturdy,  able  fellows.” 

“ But  very  surly-looking,  father,”  said 
Arthur.  “ I,  for  one,  am  glad  they  left  us, 
since  it  let  us  see  just  what  they  were  before 
we  had  started  on  our  journey  and  were  at 
their  mercy.” 

“ Well  spoken,  my  boy ; but  I fear  this  is 
just  the  beginning  of  what  we  shall  be  called 
upon  to  meet  all  through  our  trip.  My  ex- 
perience with  the  Korean  character  has  shown 
me  plainly  its  lack  of  stability  and,  what  is 
worse,  its  disregard  of  truth.” 

“ But,  uncle,”  said  Wilbur,  “ they  seem  to 
be  a very  pleasant-mannered  people,  and  so 
easy-going ” 

“ That  is  just  it,  Wilbur ! They  are  too 
easy-going.  Why,  even  the  emperor,  the 
head  of  the  nation,  is  sadly  lacking  in  deci- 
sion. He  is  a mere  puppet  in  the  hands  of 
bad  men.  Poor  Li  Hsi ! some  day  his  crown 
will  topple  off,  and  he  will  be  like  Bopeep, 
not  knowing  where  to  find  it,  nor  even  know- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


*3 


ing  how  he  lost  it.  But  come,”  he  added,  “ we 
must  hurry  if  we  are  to  meet  Dr.  Griffin  at 
the  time  he  set.  This  is  one  of  the  principal 
market  days,  and  there  will  be  a crowd.” 

They  hastened  through  the  narrow,  crowded 
streets.  Men  and  children  and  dogs  were  seen 
in  every  direction.  Very  few  women  were 
afoot,  and  the  most  of  these  had  an  ugly 
green  cloak,  cut  like  a coat,  drawn  up  over 
their  heads  and  about  their  faces,  with  just  a 
crack  for  the  eyes  to  peep  through.  On  each 
side  a big  sleeve  hung  down  like  a great  flop- 
ping ear.  What  women  of  the  higher  class 
were  abroad  were  not  seen,  as  they  were  borne 
by  their  servants  in  covered  sedan  chairs. 

As  Mr.  Vance  and  the  youths  walked  on 
briskly  they  came,  after  a short  time,  to  a 
street  not  far  from  the  English  Legation, 
which  was  cleaner  and  more  prepossessing 
than  any  they  had  entered  since  leaving  the 
one  faced  by  the  mission  compound. 

“ What  an  improvement,  uncle,”  exclaimed 
Wilbur,  “ on  the  foul  smells  everywhere  else 
in  this  town.” 

“ It  is  the  pungent  odor  of  the  cabinet 
woods  you  get  now,  my  boy,”  replied  his 


i4  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

uncle.  “ In  fact,  this  is  called  Cabinet  Street, 
and  it  is  here  that  the  marriage  chests  are 
made  for  such  young  Korean  women  as  can 
afford  them.” 

They  found  the  market  a stirring  place. 
In  addition  to  the  city  venders,  hundreds  of 
people  had  come  in  from  the  country  with 
wares  for  sale.  Most  of  the  merchants  were 
squatting  upon  the  ground  with  their  goods 
spread  out  before  them.  Others  used  their 
clumsy,  high-wheeled  carts  as  temporary 
shops,  the  big-eyed  oxen  standing  patiently 
as  their  masters  drove  bargains.  There  were 
straw  coops  filled  with  chickens  or  with  young 
pigs  ; roots  and  fruits  and  vegetables ; tobacco 
pipes,  oiled  paper,  umbrella  hats,  cords  for 
girdles,  Turkey  red  cottons,  flimsy  silks, 
matches,  sesamum  seed  candy,  and  every  con- 
ceivable article  necessary  or  otherwise  to 
human  existence,  all  jumbled  together,  with 
no  regard  to  class  or  substance. 

A man  offered  them  rice  for  sale  by  the 
handful ; another  had  eggs  which  were  sold 
by  the  stick.  They  were  wrapped  in  straw, 
placed  end  to  end,  and  standing  out  like  a 
stiff  club  with  many  notches. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  1$ 

“ I think  I wouldn't  like  to  buy  eggs  in 
Korea,  uncle,"  said  Wilbur.  “ I'd  never  know 
whether  they  were  stale  or  fresh." 

“ Something  one  can't  tell  very  well  even 
in  America,"  his  uncle  replied,  smiling. 

“ I would  be  afraid  I wasn't  getting  eggs  at 
all,"  declared  Arthur.  “ Who  knows,  now, 
but  that  those  might  be  stones  instead  of  eggs 
inside  the  straw  ? " 

“ You  might  ask  the  man  to  let  you  bear 
down  on  them  and  test  them,"  suggested 
Stephen. 

“ No,  I thank  you.  They  might  be  covered 
by  shells  after  all,  and  I have  no  yen 1 to  pay 
for  the  damage,  for  of  course  he  would  want 
twenty  times  what  'twas  worth." 

They  found  Dr.  Griffin  near  a booth  that 
had  long-stemmed  pipes  and  a varied  assort- 
ment of  pottery  for  sale.  He  was  in  earnest 
conversation  with  a man  who  was  peddling 
ironing  clubs. 

Wilbur  thought  these  were  surely  baseball 
bats,  though  they  were  shorter  than  those 
with  which  he  was  familiar  in  the  States. 
He  was  greatly  surprised  when  Arthur  told 

1 A Japanese  dollar,  a coin  quite  current  in  Korea, 


16  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


him  they  were  used  by  the  women  of  Korea 
for  the  purpose  of  ironing,  or  rather  beating, 
the  white  clothes  of  fathers,  husbands  and 
sons  into  smoothness. 

The  young  physician  looked  up  with  a 
smile.  He  had  a fine,  strong  face,  and  his 
dark  eyes  were  very  bright.  Yet  much  sad- 
ness had  come  into  the  young  physician’s 
life,  as  Wilbur  was  to  learn  later. 

“ I think  we  have  found  one  of  our  pole- 
men,”  said  Dr.  Griffin’s  cheery  voice  as  Mr. 
Vance  drew  near.  “ This  is  Mr.  Kang-see,  or 
Mr.  Kang  for  short.  He  lives  some  miles  up 
our  river  of  Golden  Sands,  and  brings  down 
articles  of  merchandise  now  and  then  for  the 
pasang1  in  Seoul.  Many  parts  of  the  river, 
he  tells  me,  he  knows  as  well  as  the  fingers 
on  his  hand,  though  he  has  never  been  so  far 
up  as  the  first  of  the  monasteries  we  are  anx- 
ious to  see.” 

Mr.  Vance  began  to  ply  Mr.  Kang  with  ques- 
tions and  soon  seemed  well  pleased.  The  two 
missionaries  made  use  of  the  native  language, 
though  two  or  three  times  Mr.  Kang  gave  evi- 
dence of  having  no  mean  knowledge  of  English. 

1 Merchant  peddlers. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  17 

He  seemed  a very  intelligent  young  Korean, 
above  the  average  height,  and  his  person  and 
his  dress  bore  evidence  of  a cleanliness  that 
pleased  Mr.  Vance  greatly. 

“ He  tells  me  also,”  Dr.  Griffin  said  again, 
“ that  he  is  sure  there  are  two  young  men  in 
his  village  whom  he  can  get  to  join  him. 
They  are  experienced  and  have  been  on  two 
or  three  journeys  for  some  distance  up  the 
Han.  He  promises  without  fail  to  have  them 
at  the  mission  compound  by  dusk  on  Monday 
evening.” 

“ We  shall  count  upon  you,  Mr.  Kang,” 
said  Mr.  Vance  politely,  “ and  pray  be  sure  to 
bring  the  young  men  with  you  if  in  your 
power.  We  want  to  be  off  Wednesday  morn- 
ing at  sunrise.  Now  where  shall  we  find  the 
fourth  poleman,  I am  anxious  to  know.” 

During  the  last  few  minutes,  while  his 
father  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  been  in  earnest 
conversation  with  Kang,  Arthur  had  been 
scanning  the  faces  of  the  crowd  about  them. 
Soon  he  became  conscious  of  one  man  who 
was  very  impertinently  staring  at  them,  and 
edging  nearer  as  he  stared.  This  ought  not 
to  have  given  the  youth  either  surprise  or  re- 


18  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


sentment,  as  the  Koreans  are  a very  inquisi- 
tive people,  and  Arthur  had  been  long  enough 
in  the  country  to  find  that  out.  He  felt, 
however,  thoroughly  provoked  with  the  man. 
He  was  plainly  trying  to  hear  all  that  was 
said.  “ And  it  is  none  of  his  business,”  com- 
mented Arthur. 

The  man  had  a bad  face,  the  youth  de- 
clared to  himself,  and  his  almond-shaped 
eyes  gleamed  in  a way  that  made  Arthur  feel 
decidedly  chilly. 

Suddenly  Arthur  saw  the  man  give  a start 
and  bend  nearer,  as  though  every  nerve  of 
hearing  was  on  a tension,  and  his  queer  little 
eyes  were  shining  like  serpent’s  eyes,  with  a 
hard  glitter, — yes,  Arthur  was  sure  of  it ! 
His  father  was  speaking  to  Mr.  Kang  about 
the  Diamond  Mountain  section  and  the  mon- 
asteries up  the  Han,  especially  the  one  where 
the  Marble  Pagoda  was,  said  to  be  the  exact 
counterpart  of  that  in  Seoul,  which  struck 
every  visitor  with  such  wonder. 

The  man  edged  nearer  and  nearer,  his  face 
working  with  some  strange  emotion,  his  eyes 
like  two  tiny  jets  of  flame. 

“ He’s  truly  a queer  customer,  and  I believe 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  19 

he  is  after  no  good  ! ” Arthur  said  to  himself. 
He  turned  quickly  to  the  man.  “ Well,  what 
do  you  want  ? ” he  asked.  But  without  re- 
plying the  Korean  abruptly  darted  away  and 
the  youth  quickly  lost  him  in  the  crowd. 

“ He’s  gone  ! ” exclaimed  Arthur,  “ without 
giving  me  the  chance  I wanted  to  speak  to 
him ; but  I would  know  that  face  again  any- 
where.” 

In  Korea,  where  physiognomy  varies,  it  is 
not  hard  to  distinguish  one  face  from  another 
as  it  is  in  China  and  Japan,  so  that  Arthur 
made  no  vain  boast.  Though  the  Koreans 
bear  a resemblance  to  both  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese,  and  there  is  a mixture  of  the  blood 
of  the  two  races  in  their  veins,  as  is  believed, 
still  the  people  of  the  Hermit  Kingdom  have 
features,  as  well  as  traits,  that  are  distinctively 
their  own.  They  vary  in  coloring  from  a 
russet  brown  to  a light  cream  hue,  and  the 
eyes  of  many  of  them  instead  of  being  sloe- 
black,  as  are  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese,  are  hazel  and  even  a dark  gray  in 
shade.  This  man’s  eyes  were  of  a peculiar 
shade  of  deep  amber.  Truly  it  would  be  hard 
for  Arthur  to  forget  them  ! 


20  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

He  decided  at  length  to  say  nothing  to  his 
father  or  to  the  others  until  some  circumstance 
arose  to  justify  his  speaking.  Besides,  there 
was  ever  the  dread  with  Arthur  of  being  cen- 
sured for  his  hasty  prejudices. 

“ I think  I can  get  the  other  poleman,”  said 
Dr.  Griffin,  as  they  walked  away.  “ At  any 
rate,  Til  try  for  him.  I am  going  over  to- 
ward the  South  Gate  to  see  a sick  man.  He 
is  one  in  whom  I have  confidence.  He  has 
traveled  much  about  the  country  and  will 
probably  be  able  to  help  us.  I will  let  you 
hear  from  me  shortly  after  my  return.” 

Mr.  Vance  thanked  him  and  turned  away 
with  the  boys. 

“ What  a fine  face  Dr.  Griffin  has,”  ex- 
claimed Wilbur,  when  they  were  on  their  wa}^ 
back  to  the  compound.  “ I’m  very  glad  he 
is  going  with  us  next  week.” 

“ Yes,”  rejoined  his  uncle,  enthusiastically. 
“ He’s  a splendid  fellow.  You’ll  like  him 
more  and  more.” 

“ I should  think  it  would  be  a sad  journey 
for  him,”  said  Arthur. 

“ Why  ? ” asked  Wilbur,  in  surprise. 

But  Mr.  Vance  answered  for  his  son.  “ I 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  21 


would  have  told  you  about  him  earlier,  Wil- 
bur,” he  said,  “ but  for  the  fact  that  I have  been 
busy  and  have  seen  so  little  of  you  in  the  few 
days  you  have  been  here.  Dr.  Griffin’s  only 
brother,  Walter  Hale  Griffin,  was  drowned 
while  on  a trip  up  the  Han  River  just  a little 
more  than  three  years  ago.  He  was  an  artist 
and  newspaper  correspondent,  and  was  very 
venturesome,  it  is  said.  His  body  was  never 
found,  though  most  of  his  effects  were  fished 
up  from  the  river.  No  doubt  his  sampan  was 
dashed  to  pieces  in  the  rapids.  Many  believe 
his  polemen  were  treacherous — that  they  de- 
liberately planned  his  death  so  as  to  rob  him. 
He  had  a servant  with  him,  and  he  at  least 
ought  to  have  been  faithful,  since  Mr.  Walter 
had  saved  him  from  starvation  and  even  from 
what  was  worse.  Trace  of  this  servant  was 
never  found  after  the  accident,  though  a bat- 
tered body  was  taken  out  of\he  water  near 
where  the  sampan  was  wrecked,  which  the 
natives  of  a near-by  village  declared  was  that 
of  Mr.  Walter’s  servant  Won-su.  Dr.  Griffin 
has  never  been  quite  satisfied  that  all  is  known 
that  could  be  known,  however,  and  his  chief 
reason  for  going  with  me  on  this  trip  is  to  see 


22  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


what  further  facts  can  be  unearthed.  Mr. 
Walter’s  death  was  a great  blow  to  Dr.  Griffin. 
“ And  to  Miss  Philippa,  too,”  he  added,  after 
a moment.  “ You  probably  had  not  heard 
that  she  was  engaged  to  Mr.  Walter.  It  was 
all  very  sad,  very  sad.” 

They  were  entering  the  compound  now, 
and  their  house  was  in  sight.  Arthur  waved 
his  hand  gaily  to  some  one  standing  in  the 
door. 

“ There’s  Margaret,”  he  said. 

Mr.  Vance  stopped.  “ Sure  enough,”  he 
said.  “ You  boys  go  on  to  the  house.  I’ll  be 
with  you  soon.  I nearly  forgot  something.” 
They  had  been  at  home  only  a short  time 
when  Mr.  Vance  came  in.  Behind  him  was  a 
young  girl  about  Margaret’s  age,  whose  cheeks 
were  glowing  and  eyes  sparkling  as  though 
she  knew  something  very  pleasant  and 
couldn’t  wait  another  moment  to  tell  it. 

“ Here,  Margaret,”  said  Mr.  Vance,  his  own 
eyes  twinkling,  “ I’ve  brought  Sarah  Eliot 
to  talk  it  over  with  you.” 

“ Why,  father,”  cried  Margaret.  “ What  do 
you  mean  ? What  is  he  talking  about,  Sarah  ? ” 
“ Oh,”  said  Mr.  Vance,  “ nothing  much. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  23 

Just  the  trip  up  the  Han  River.  I have  per- 
suaded Sarah’s  father  to  let  her  go  with  you, 
for  company.  But  if  you  don’t  want  her,”  he 

added  teasingly,  “ I’ll ” 

Margaret  rushed  at  him  and  hugged  him. 
“ You  dear  old  father  ! ” she  cried.  “ And 
you  have  been  planning  this  all  the  time 
without  letting  me  know.  Oh,  Sarah,  isn’t  it 
just  the  nicest  thing?  And  I’d  rather  have 
you  than  anybody  I know,  Sarah ! ” And 
the  delighted  girl  hugged  her  friend,  and  then 
her  father  again,  and  then  all  the  boys  one 
after  the  other.  When  she  came  to  Arthur 
she  said  triumphantly, 

“ And  now  who’s  going  to  the  Diamond 
Mountains,  I want  to  know.” 

“ You  are,  Meg,”  said  Arthur,  promptly. 
“ And  I’m  glad  of  it.” 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  MAN  WITH  THE  AMBER  EYES 

“What  do  you  think,”  exclaimed  Arthur; 
“ Sarah  Eliot  has  been  two  months  in  Seoul, 
and  she  has  not  yet  seen  the  Marble  Pagoda?  ” 
“ The  Marble  Pagoda  ! ” echoed  Wilbur. 
“ What  is  that  ? I,  too,  must  plead  ignorance. 
Neither  have  I seen  the  Marble  Pagoda.” 

“ Then  you  must  both  see  it  at  once.  This 
is  Saturday,  the  very  day  to  go.” 

“But  what  is  the  Marble  Pagoda?”  per- 
sisted Wilbur,  “ and  where  is  it  to  be  found  ? ” 
“ O it  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  Seoul,” 
Margaret  laughingly  replied  ; “ the  wonder,  as 
Arthur  believes,  and  it  stands  in  one  of  the 
dirtiest  portions  of  the  city,  like  a pearl  in  a 
mud  puddle.  We  shall  all  have  to  take  balls 
of  tar  camphor  if  we  go  there,”  Margaret  con- 
cluded with  an  upward  little  sniff. 

“ Don’t  mind  her,  Wilbur,”  entreated  Ar- 
thur. “ It  isn’t  any  dirtier  than  places  where 
we  have  been  alread}^  Nearly  all  of  Seoul  is 
dirty,  for  that  matter.  Indeed,  I think  it 

*4 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  25 


should  be  called  the  City  of  Immortal  Dirt 
instead  of  the  ‘ City  of  the  Ring’s  Everlasting 
Seal.’ 

“ But  to  come  back  to  the  pagoda.  Really, 
Wilbur,  you  are  going  to  be  surprised  when 
you  see  it.  Every  one  is.  Even  Meg  herself 
was,  the  first  time  she  set  her  eyes  upon  it ; so 
don’t  mind  her  chaffing.  She  is  quite  ready 
to  go  again,  despite  the  bad  smells,  as  you’ll 
plainly  see  when  the  time  comes,”  which  as- 
sertion Margaret  herself  made  no  attempt  to 
deny. 

“It  is  more  than  seven  hundred  years  old,” 
said  Stephen,  pleased  that  he  could  add  a 
point  of  information,  “ and  no  one  knows 
who  built  it.” 

“ The  carvings  are  magnificent,”  Arthur 
resumed.  “ The  most  of  them  represent  Hin- 
doo divinities,  so  that  it  is  believed,  and  with 
good  reason,  that  the  artists  came  from  India. 
Mr.  Walter,  Dr.  Griffin’s  brother,  was  com- 
pletely fascinated  with  the  old  pagoda.  I 
remember  going  there  twice  with  him,  and  I 
could  hardly  get  him  away.  He  declared  that 
he  believed  the  old  place  was  full  of  mys- 
teries, secret  apartments,  you  know,  and  recep- 


26  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


tacles  for  treasure  and  all  that,  and  upon  my 
word  I think  so  too.” 

They  set  off  at  about  ten  o’clock  that  morn- 
ing for  the  old  pagoda.  Unfortunately  neither 
their  father  nor  Dr.  Griffin  could  accompany 
them.  Both  knew  much  of  the  history  of 
the  old  pagoda  as  well  as  the  significance 
of  many  of  its  carvings. 

In  one  of  the  narrowest  of  the  streets  Mar- 
garet, who  was  walking  ahead  with  Wilbur, 
suddenly  paused  and  motioned  her  cousin  to 
move  nearer  the  wall  to  permit  a porter  to 
pass.  The  man  was  heavily  laden  with  pot- 
tery. It  was  so  piled  on  a great  wooden 
frame,  resembling  an  artist’s  easel,  that  it 
towered  four  or  five  feet  above  his  head.  The 
pottery  was  held  in  place  by  thongs  of  hempen 
cord  wound  about  it,  but  despite  this  it 
rattled  loosely  as  the  man  trotted  by. 

“ I don’t  see  what  keeps  it  from  falling,” 
said  Wilbur.  “ I certainly  would  not  fancy 
bumping  into  him,  would  you  ? I’m  glad 
you  pulled  me  aside.” 

“ Oh,  nothing  would  have  happened,” 
Margaret  replied.  “ Probably  none  of  the 
pottery  would  have  fallen.  I have  seen  one 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  27 

of  these  porters  quickly  right  his  load  again, 
when  every  piece  of  pottery  seemed  tumbling 
in  a different  direction. ” 

They  had  moved  on  again  when  Margaret’s 
attention  was  attracted  to  a man  hastily  cross- 
ing the  street  in  the  direction  they  were  turn- 
ing. She  would  no  doubt  have  passed  on 
without  heeding  him,  had  he  not  jostled 
somewhat  roughly  against  her  in  the  attempt 
to  cross  just  as  she  did. 

“ What  peculiar  eyes  that  man  has,”  she 
said  to  Wilbur.  “ I declare  they  gave  me  a 
very  queer  feeling  as  he  turned  his  glance 
suddenly  upon  me,  though  I must  say  he 
wasn’t  at  all  rough  in  his  manner.  He  drew 
back  civilly  enough  when  he  saw  that  he  had 
jostled  me.” 

“Why,  what  was  the  matter  with  his  eyes?  ” 
asked  her  cousin,  who  could  now  see  only 
the  back  of  the  man’s  head  as  he  hastened 
away. 

“ They  are  exactly  the  color  of  amber,”  re- 
plied Margaret,  “ and  they  glitter  as  though 
they  might  be  made  of  glass.” 

“ Why,  what  a comparison,  Margaret ! ” her 
cousin  replied  as  he  smiled  into  her  face. 


28  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Perhaps  your  own  glance  was  somewhat  be- 
witched ? ” 

“ Perhaps  so,  Wilbur/'  she  agreed  as  she  re- 
turned her  cousin’s  smile.  Nevertheless  she 
had  her  own  opinion. 

“ There  ! ” said  Arthur,  as  they  came  sud- 
denly around  a jumble  of  mean  and  dirty 
looking  huts,  “ I defy  you,  Wilbur,  to  assert 
that  you  were  expecting  anything  like  this. 
Doesn’t  it  make  you  hold  your  breath, 
though  ? ” 

The  pagoda  did  present  an  imposing  ap- 
pearance, although  the  marble  of  which  it  had 
been  built  was  now  discolored  by  time.  It 
had  originally  been  thirteen  stories  in  height, 
but  during  the  Japanese  invasion  three  hun- 
dred years  before  three  of  the  stories  had  been 
removed  and  placed  near  by  on  the  ground. 

“ Why  do  they  not  clean  up  around  here?” 
asked  Sarah  in  disgust,  “ and  let  the  pagoda 
stand  out  conspicuously  as  it  deserves?  No 
one  would  think  to  look  for  it  behind  all 
these  heaps  of  wretched,  dirty  buildings.” 

“ 0 the  natives  don’t  care  about  it,”  replied 
Margaret.  “ They  would  rather  have  the 
space  than  the  pagoda.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  29 

“ 1 wonder  the  authorities  don’t  take  some 
action  in  the  matter?”  exclaimed  Wilbur. 
“It  is  a burning  shame  to  permit  these  peo- 
ple to  crowd  up  so  against  this  beautiful 
thing,  shutting  off  all  the  view  of  it  with 
their  dirty  houses.” 

“ The  authorities  ! ” repeated  Arthur,  look- 
ing amused.  “ You  won’t  be  in  Seoul  many 
more  days,  Wilbur,  ere  you  discover  that  mu- 
nicipal alertness  isn’t  one  of  the  prevailing 
virtues.  People  are  left  to  do  very  much  as 
they  please  unless  it’s  a matter  of  having  the 
taxes  squeezed  out  of  them.” 

They  walked  slowly  around  the  pagoda,  not 
only  admiring  the  beauty  of  its  carvings,  but 
the  symmetry  of  its  proportions.  Each  point 
aroused  fresh  admiration.  But  as  beautiful 
as  the  pagoda  was  without,  it  was  even 
more  so  within,  though  its  walls  were 
covered  by  the  accumulated  dust  and  grime  . 
of  centuries. 

The  roof  of  each  apartment  was  supported 
by  pillars  of  stone,  every  one  a mass  of  carv- 
ings. Figures  of  Buddha  were  everywhere, 
with  many  other  mystic  deities  known  to  the 
Hindoo  religion.  Light  came  through  re- 


30  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

cessed  windows  and  through  openings  where 
paneled  doors  had  been. 

The  young  people  had  just  come  from  within 
the  main  apartment  and  were  lingering  for 
another  view  of  the  old  pagoda's  beauty. 
They  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  a wall  which 
had  been  built  so  near  to  the  pagoda  that 
they  could  easily  lean  forward  and  touch  the 
quaintly  carved  eaves  of  the  first  story.  It 
seemed  that  the  spell  of  the  old  building 
was  upon  them.  Its  beauty  had  tied  their 
tongues. 

As  Margaret  leaned  forward,  peering  through 
a crevice,  she  became  conscious  that  some  one 
had  entered  the  apartment  they  had  recently 
vacated.  That  was  not  unusual,  she  said  to 
herself  Many  people  no  doubt  visited  the 
old  pagoda  every  day.  Visitors  generally 
heard  of  it  as  soon  as  they  reached  Seoul. 

Another  glance,  and  Margaret  saw  that  this 
was  no  visitor  to  Seoul,  but  a native,  a man 
in  the  full  Korean  dress,  white  gown,  full 
sleeves,  and  broad-brimmed  hat.  Still,  his 
being  there  struck  her  as  nothing  unusual. 
All  about  the  pagoda  were  the  huts  of  the  na- 
tives. No  doubt  one  or  more  of  them  used 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  31 

the  pagoda  for  some  domestic  purpose.  Per- 
haps this  man  had  his  lodging  here. 

Margaret  was  about  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  others  to  the  man’s  presence  in  the  pa- 
goda, when  a sudden  movement  on  his  part 
stayed  the  words  almost  upon  her  lips,  and 
held  her  with  curiosity.  He  had  gone  down 
on  his  knees  and  from  somewhere  had  drawn 
forth  a large  flat  box  of  dark  wood,  and  was 
not  only  muttering  over  it,  but  was  making 
vigorous  gestures.  A hum  of  voices  in  a 
near-by  hut  and  the  rapid  barking  of  a dog 
kept  Margaret  from  hearing  distinctly  the 
sounds  that  he  made,  but  she  could  see  the 
movements,  and  they  struck  her  as  being  very 
queer. 

Something  in  the  man’s  appearance  seemed 
familiar.  He  glanced  up  as  though  he  feared 
he  might  be  noticed  and  Margaret  instantly 
drew  back. 

“ Ah,  Wilbur,  come  here,”  she  said.  “ There 
is  a man  in  the  pagoda  ; his  actions  are  very 
queer,  and  I am  just  dying  to  find  out  what 
he  is  doing.” 

She  sprang  down  from  the  wall,  again  sig- 
naling her  cousin  to  come.  But  Wilbur  did 


32  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


not  follow  immediately,  as  both  Arthur  and 
Sarah  were  calling  to  him  to  know  what  was 
the  matter  with  Margaret. 

Meanwhile  Margaret  was  running  around 
the  pagoda  toward  the  opening  by  which  she 
was  sure  the  man  had  entered.  She  could 
not  account  to  herself  for  the  lively  curiosity 
he  had  aroused,  but  it  certainly  was  aroused 
and  was  leading  her  into  most  undignified 
action. 

As  Margaret  neared  the  opening,  the  man 
issued  hastily  from  it.  No  doubt  he  had 
heard  their  voices  and  the  sound  of  her 
swiftly  moving  feet.  As  she  noted  his  rapid 
exit,  she  became  more  fully  convinced  that 
he  had  been  doing  something  he  had  no  busi- 
ness to  do.  Perhaps  he  had  stolen  something 
and  had  gone  to  the  old  pagoda  to  secrete  it. 

As  the  man  caught  the  sound  of  her  ap- 
proach, he  turned  as  though  unwittingly. 
For  one  instant  he  glanced  at  her  fully.  Mar- 
garet gave  a start  that  brought  her  almost  to 
a standstill.  The  eyes  were  those  of  the  man 
who  had  attracted  her  so  peculiarly  in  the 
street. 

Arthur  came  up  beside  her  just  as  the  man 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  33 

was  disappearing  around  an  angle  of  one  of 
the  huts. 

“ Dear  me,  Margaret ! whatever  is  the  mat- 
ter? Why,  the  way  you  jumped  down  from 
the  wall  and  ran  around  the  pagoda  made  us 
think  you  had  suddenly  gone  crazy.” 

“ I heard  her  say  something  about  a man 
in  the  pagoda,”  exclaimed  Wilbur,  “ but  that 
was  all.  Where  is  the  man,  Meg,  and  what 
was  he  doing  to  excite  you  so  ? ” 

“You  ran  away  as  though  you  had  sud- 
denly been  shot  out  of  a gun,”  laughed  Sarah. 
“Now,  Margaret,  what  did  you  see  to  arouse 
you  in  that  sudden  way  ? ” 

“ I saw  a man  in  the  pagoda,”  quickly  re- 
plied Margaret.  “ He  no  doubt  entered  the 
lower  apartment  just  as  we  left  it.  At  first  I 
thought  nothing  of  it,  as  there  are  so  many 
people  in  the  huts  crowded  about  the  old  pa- 
goda, it  was  natural  to  expect  to  see  them 
make  use  of  it  at  any  time.  But  he  soon  be- 
gan to  act  so  queerly,  and  he  had  a box  of 
such  strange  appearance — large,  flat  and  of  a 
wood  so  highly  polished  it  fairly  shone — my 
curiosity  was  quickly  aroused.  There  was 
something,  too,  about  the  man  that  seemed 


34  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

familiar.  I just  couldn’t  stand  it  another 
moment.  I felt  that  I must  see  that  box 
nearer  and  find  out  what  he  was  doing  with  it.” 
“ Just  hear  her  ! ” cried  Arthur.  “ A girl’s 
curiosity ! Why,  Meg,  old  Mother  Eve  her- 
self couldn’t  have  held  a candle  to  you  if  you 
had  met  in  the  same  generation.” 

“ Don’t  call  it  Margaret’s  curiosity,”  spoke 
Wilbur  at  that  moment,  “ but  Margaret’s 
spirit ! With  Margaret  to  resolve  is  to  act. 
I don’t  know  what  Margaret  wouldn’t  do, 
once  her  mind  is  made  up.” 

“ Yes,  Margaret  is  like  the  terrapin,” 
promptly  asserted  Arthur,  “ once  she  takes 
hold  she  never  lets  go.” 

“ Till  it  thunders,”  added  Sarah. 

“ No,  not  even  thunder  would  weaken  Mar- 
garet’s grip.  But  where  is  that  man,  I would 
like  to  know?  ” Arthur  asked  suddenly,  wheel- 
ing about.  “ And  what  do  you  suppose  he 
would  have  thought  of  you,  Meg,  if  you  had 
bolted  in  on  him  as  you  proposed?  It  is  a 
good  thing  I arrived  in  time  to  stop  you.  Is 
he  still  in  the  pagoda  ? ” 

“ No,  he  has  just  gone  around  the  corner  of 
one  of  the  huts.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  35 


“ Box  and  all  ? ” 

“ He  did  not  have  the  box,  or  if  he  did,  I 
couldn’t  see  it.  But  that  would  have  been 
out  of  the  question,”  she  added  after  a pause. 

“ What  would  ? ” asked  Sarah. 

“ For  the  man  to  have  had  the  box  without 
my  seeing  it.  Why,  it  must  be  two  feet  long.” 

“ Then  it  is  still  in  the  pagoda ! ” cried 
Arthur.  “ Come,  let  us  go  and  see.” 

“ Who  has  curiosity  now  ? ” asked  Sarah. 

Arthur  looked  foolish. 

“ It  mightn’t  be  just  the  thing  for  us  to  go 
back  in  there,”  spoke  Wilbur.  “ Some  one 
may  live  in  the  lower  apartment.  Now  that 
we  have  reason  to  think  so,  we  might  be 
intruding.” 

“ I am  almost  sure  there  is  no  one  living  in 
there,”  declared  Arthur.  “ We  saw  no  signs 
of  it  during  our  visit  a short  while  ago.  Per- 
haps the  fellow  stole  the  box,  and  we  may 
restore  it  to  its  owner.” 

“ That  is  just  what  I think,”  remarked 
Margaret,  “ that  the  man  had  stolen  the  box 
and  went  in  there  to  hide  it.  He  certainly 
acted  queerly  ; and  he  did  not  come  out  with 
the  box,  I am  sure  of  that.” 


36  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ 0 come  on,  let’s  go  and  look  for  it ! ” cried 
Arthur  again.  “ You  two  girls  will  come,  I 
know,  for  I can  see  that  your  curiosity  is  con- 
suming you.  Wilbur,  you  had  better  come, 
too,  to  take  care  of  us  all,  since  you  are  the 
man  of  the  party.” 

“ I see  a man  peeping  around  the  corner  of 
one  of  the  huts  ! ” said  Stephen  suddenly. 

“ Where  ? ” asked  Arthur. 

“ Right  over  there.” 

“ Is  that  the  man,  Margaret  ? ” 

“ No,  it  isn’t.  I think  that  man  is  just 
overcome  with  curiosity  to  know  what  we  are 
doing,”  and  she  bestowed  a meaning  glance 
in  Arthur’s  direction. 

“ I would  know  the  man  anywhere,”  con- 
tinued Margaret ; “ I mean  the  one  who  was 
in  here.  He  had  the  most  peculiar  eyes  I 
have  ever  seen.  In  fact,  Wilbur,”  turning 
to  her  cousin,  “ he  was  the  very  same  one  I 
called  your  attention  to  in  the  street.” 

“ What  is  there  peculiar  about  his  eyes?” 
asked  Arthur,  wheeling  suddenly  toward  Mar- 
garet. 

“ Why,  their  coloring.  They  are  the  hue 
of  amber,  and  they  glitter  like  glass.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  37 

“Good  gracious  me  ! ” ejaculated  Arthur,  for- 
getting how  opposed  his  scholarly  father 
was  to  all  such  meaningless  expressions,  and 
darted  into  the  pagoda. 


CHAPTER  III 


OUT  THROUGH  THE  SOUTH  GATE 

They  went  into  the  lower  apartment  of  the 
pagoda  and  searched  carefully,  but  could  find 
no  trace  of  the  box  Margaret  had  seen. 

“ Perhaps  you  were  mistaken,  Meg,”  sug- 
gested Arthur.  “ The  light  is  not  good  in 
here,  as  you  see.” 

“ I could  not  have  been  mistaken,  Arthur. 
The  man  was  directly  in  front  of  the  opening 
through  which  I was  looking.  In  fact,  there 
was  a ray  of  sunlight  right  across  the  box. 
It  just  danced  on  the  polished  wood.  Why,  I 
could  almost  say  that  the  box  is  of  cherry.” 

“ No  doubt  the  man  took  it  away,”  said 
Wilbur.  “ I should  think,  Margaret,  that 
with  the  voluminous  sleeves  they  wear  they 
could  easily  conceal  within  them  articles  of 
no  small  proportions,  and  the  observer  be 
none  the  wiser.” 

“ Even  a baby  ! ” exclaimed  Stephen.  Then 
as  he  saw  them  laugh,  he  added,  “ Well,  you 
know  that  has  been  done.  Have  you  for- 

38 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  39 

gotten  the  man  father  told  us  about  ?”  turn- 
ing to  Margaret  and  Arthur,  “ the  one  who 
put  his  boy  baby  to  sleep  and  brought  him  to 
the  chapel  service  snugly  tucked  in  his  sleeve  ? 
No  one  was  the  wiser  till  father  found  it  out 
after  the  services.  The  man’s  wife  and  daugh- 
ters had  gone  to  the  river  to  wash,  and  he 
did  not  want  to  leave  the  little  one  at  home. 
Neither  did  he  want  the  other  men  to  know 
he  was  playing  nurse.” 

“ I think  the  man  who  went  away  from  the 
pagoda  didn’t  have  anything  in  his  sleeve,” 
asserted  Margaret.  “ Indeed,  I am  sure  of  it. 
He  held  his  arms  down,  and  he  did  not  walk 
as  one  who  was  bearing  a burden.” 

“ Let  us  search  again  carefully  in  this  cor- 
ner,” suggested  Wilbur.  “ The  pile  of  rubbish 
over  there  looks  as  though  it  might  recently 
have  been  disturbed.” 

The  pagoda  had  once  been  used  as  a Bud- 
dhist temple,  and  traces  of  the  altar  remained. 
There  were  two  of  the  upright  posts  that  had 
supported  the  railing,  and  jutting  from  an 
angle  of  the  wall  a hook  where  a censer  had 
swung. 

“ This  is  one  part  of  the  pagoda,”  said 


40  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Arthur,  “ that  Mr.  Walter,  Dr.  Griffin's 
brother,  used  fairly  to  haunt.  It  seemed  as 
though  it  had  woven  a spell  over  him.  I 
used  to  laugh  and  tell  him  so.  He  declared 
that  he  believed  in  ages  back  he  had  been  a 
Hindoo  himself." 

They  poked  about  for  a long  time  among 
the  rubbish,  overturning  everything  that 
looked  as  though  it  might  conceal  the  open- 
ing of  some  secret  receptacle  where  the  box 
could  have  been  hidden. 

“ I think  we  shall  have  to  give  it  up,"  de- 
clared Arthur  after  a time.  “ But  I tell  you 
what ! we'll  come  back  here  again  Monday, 
and  we'll  bring  some  tools  to  aid  us  in  the 
search.  The  whole  thing  has  aroused  my 
curiosity.  I’ll  admit  it,  Miss  Sarah,  and  you 
can  laugh  as  much  as  you  please.  Now  I’ll 
give  you  the  reason  why  I grew  so  excited 
when  Margaret  mentioned  what  peculiar  eyes 
the  man  had,"  and  he  thereupon  related  the 
circumstance  occurring  in  the  market-place 
two  days  before. 

tc  I declare  you  two  make  my  flesh  creep  ! ’’ 
exclaimed  Sarah.  “ Quit  talking  about  such 
uncanny  things.  There  ! what  was  that  stir- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  41 

ring  ? ” and  she  gave  a little  scream  and 
sprang  toward  Margaret. 

“ Only  a rat,  goosey  ! Take  care  it  doesn’t 
run  up  your  skirt,”  at  which  suggestion  Sarah 
squeaked  more  loudly  than  ever. 

“ See  the  inscription  up  there,”  remarked 
Arthur  as  they  were  turning  away.  “ The 
gilding  has  worn  from  the  letters,  but  their 
outlines  are  still  quite  plain,  ‘ Namu,  Amida, 
Butsu  ! — Hail,  all  powerful  Buddha  ! ’ Mr. 
Walter  told  me  its  meaning.  It  was  so  sad 
about  his  death,”  his  eyes  suddenly  growing 
very  tender.  “ He  was  a splendid  young  man, 
Wilbur.  I wish  you  could  have  known  him. 
In  addition  to  the  articles  he  wrote  and  the 
sketches  he  made  for  the  papers  and  maga- 
zines, he  was  writing  a book,  which  father 
says  would  have  been  a great  contribution  to 
literature.” 

When  they  reached  home  it  was  to  hear  the 
welcome  news  that  the  fourth  poleman  had 
been  obtained  for  the  sampan  trip  up  the 
Han.  Dr.  Griffin  had  at  length  found  him 
through  the  agency  of  the  sick  man  he  had 
gone  to  see  two  days  before.  This  poleman, 
Myo-Sang  by  name,  was  an  old  sampan  man 


42  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


and  understood  the  business  thoroughly.  He 
had  been  several  times  up  the  Han,  it  was 
thought  to  the  very  farthest  point  to  which  it 
was  navigable  for  sampans  and  other  like 
craft.  If  any  one  could  take  them  safely 
through  the  dangerous  shoals  and  rapids, 
Myo-Sang  could.  They  were  therefore  fortu- 
nate in  getting  him,  his  admirers  asserted. 

On  the  following  Monday  morning  the 
young  people  went  again  to  the  pagoda.  A 
lively  interest  had  been  awakened  within  each 
one  concerning  the  cherry  wood  box  and  the 
mysterious  man  with  the  amber-colored  eyes. 
Even  Wilbur  felt  his  curiosity  considerably 
aroused.  They  had  agreed  that  they  would 
say  nothing  to  their  elders  about  the  matter 
unless  the  box  was  found. 

“ Father  and  Dr.  Griffin  would  only  laugh 
at  us/’  declared  Arthur,  “ and  call  us  a parcel 
of  foolish  children.” 

The  box  was  not  found,  though  they  car- 
ried the  proper  tools  and  made  a most  thor- 
ough and  diligent  search.  If  the  man  had 
hidden  it,  he  had  done  so  with  such  cunning 
they  were  completely  baffled. 

At  dusk  on  Monday  Kang  appeared,  and 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  43 

with  him  the  two  young  polemen  he  had  en- 
gaged at  his  village.  They  were  pleasant- 
featured,  intelligent-looking  young  men,  and 
both  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  expressed 
themselves  as  well  pleased  with  the  selection. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  a five  weeks’ 
engagement  of  the  three,  and  they  were  sent 
on  to  the  village  of  Han  Kang,  four  miles 
from  Seoul,  where  the  sampan  was  being  pro- 
visioned and  put  in  readiness  under  the  di- 
rection of  Min,  Dr.  Griffin’s  trusted  Chinese 
servant.  On  account  of  a very  dangerous 
rapid  in  the  river  near  to  Seoul,  it  had  been 
decided  to  make  the  start  from  Han  Kang, 
going  on  pony  back  from  Seoul  to  that  vil- 
lage. Such  a bustle  now  as  there  was,  getting 
ready  to  be  off ! Even  the  exciting  incident 
of  the  cherry  wood  box  was  for  the  time  for- 
gotten. 

“ We  look  like  a band  of  robbers,  stealing 
forth  to  pillage  ! ” laughed  Margaret,  as  they 
rode  away  from  the  gates  of  the  mission  com- 
pound in  the  gray  dawn.  They  were  wrapped 
to  the  chin  in  rubber  coats  to  protect  them 
from  the  fog  of  the  morning,  and  their  hats 
were  pulled  down  over  their  faces.  Many 


44  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

tender  good-byes  had  been  said  and  more  than 
one  fervent  “ God  keep  you  till  we  meet 
again.” 

At  the  last  moment  Aunt  Philippa  had 
drawn  Margaret’s  head  to  her  and  whispered 
something  close  to  her  ear,  which  made  Mar- 
garet’s heart  beat  faster  and  her  eyes  suddenly 
grow  very  moist  as  she  answered, 

“ That  I will,  Aunt  Philippa,  you  may  rest 
assured.” 

As  early  as  it  was  many  people  in  Seoul 
were  up  and  preparing  for  the  business  of  the 
day.  Smoke  was  pouring  from  dozens  of  the 
queer  chimneys  that  were  right  on  the  street. 

“ What  have  they  in  those  fires,  I would 
like  to  know?”  asked  Wilbur,  coughing  and 
sneezing. 

“ Why,  straw,  to  be  sure,  the  universal  fuel 
of  Seoul ! ” replied  Arthur  who  rode  next  to 
him.  “ Look  out,  Wilbur  ! ” he  cried  almost 
in  the  same  breath,  “ or  that  water  carrier  will 
give  you  a drenching,  and  it  will  be  by  no 
means  a clean  one,  let  me  warn  you.” 

Wilbur  turned  his  pony’s  head  just  in  time 
to  escape  collision  with  a man  who  was  trot- 
ting down  the  street  toward  them  with  a 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  45 

bucket  of  water  slung  at  each  end  of  a pole 
borne  across  his  shoulders. 

They  were  almost  at  the  Great  South  Gate, 
through  which  they  expected  to  pass  out, 
when  Arthur  turned  to  his  father. 

“ What  do  you  think  can  be  the  matter  with 
the  big  bell  this  morning,  sir  ? It  has  not  yet 
sounded,  and  you  know  we  ought  to  have 
heard  its  clang  a half  hour  ago.” 

The  great  bronze  bell  to  which  Arthur  re- 
ferred stands  near  the  centre  of  the  city.  It 
is  said  to  be  the  third  largest  bell  in  the  world. 
It  has  rung  morning  and  evening  for  five 
hundred  years  as  a signal  for  the  opening  or 
the  plosing  of  the  gates  of  Seoul,  of  which 
there  are  eight.  Without  the  sound  of  its 
mighty  booming,  which  can  be  heard  in  all 
parts  of  the  city,  the  gates  remain  motionless. 

“ I do  not  know,  Arthur,”  Mr.  Vance  re- 
plied. “ Perhaps  it  has  sounded,  and  we  have 
been  so  occupied  with  our  own  affairs  we  have 
not  noticed  it.” 

“ No,  sir,  I am  sure  it  has  not  rung,  and  it 
is  very  strange,  for  this  is  the  first  time  it  has 
ever  failed,  within  my  knowledge.” 

When  they  arrived  at  the  gate  they  found 


46  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

that  it  was  only  too  true,  the  bell  had  not 
sounded,  and  there  was  much  clatter  of 
tongues  concerning  it.  Impatience,  too,  was 
plainly  visible  on  many  countenances.  A 
crowd  had  gathered  both  within  and  without, 
and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  tell  on 
which  side  of  the  gates  the  greater  clamor  ex- 
isted. 

Wilbur,  on  dismounting  from  his  pony  to 
rest  himself  for  the  time  they  would  be  at  the 
gates,  lost  his  balance,  and,  in  seeking  to  re- 
cover himself,  jostled  violently  against  what 
he  took  to  be  a very  querulous  old  lady,  who 
was  loudly  railing  against  the  tyranny  of 
keeping  the  gates  closed. 

“ I beg  your  pardon,  madam,”  exclaimed 
Wilbur,  politely  removing  his  hat,  at  which 
Arthur  fairly  shrieked  with  laughter.  The 
supposed  old  lady  was  a man  with  clean 
shaven  face  and  hair  done  in  a knot  at  the 
top  of  his  head,  as  is  the  custom  with  married 
men  in  Korea. 

“ Now,  Arthur,”  remonstrated  Margaret,  “ it 
is  too  bad  you  should  laugh  at  Wilbur  so. 
Don’t  mind  him,  cousin.  It  is  no  wonder  you 
made  the  mistake.  I have  done  so  myself 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  47 

several  times,  and  so  has  Arthur,  if  he  would 
only  admit  it.  When  both  men  and  women 
wear  gowns,  and  men  are  frequently  seen 
without  even  the  little  wisp  of  hair,  the 
fashion  of  which  they  have  borrowed  from 
the  Chinese,  I do  not  see  how  any  one  as  un- 
familiar with  Korea  as  yourself,  Wilbur,  can 
tell  them  apart.” 

“ Thank  you,  Margaret,”  replied  Wilbur, 
looking  at  her  gratefully.  “ I hope  to  be  even 
with  Arthur  yet.” 

“ You’ll  have  to  keep  your  eyes  pried  open 
if  you  do,”  was  Stephen’s  unsolicited  advice. 

At  last  the  great  bell  sent  forth  its  booming 
sound,  and  with  a clatter  and  clang  the  gates 
fell  apart.  Rushing  and  scrambling,  the  im- 
patient crowd  within  and  the  equally  impa- 
tient one  without  alike  sought  to  make  all  the 
haste  possible. 

“ What  imposing  looking  structure  is  that 
yonder?”  Sarah  asked  of  Dr.  Griffin  when 
they  had  but  little  more  than  ridden  through 
the  gates. 

“ That  is  the  Temple  of  the  God  of  War,” 
he  replied,  “ one  of  the  very  few  temples  in 
Korea.  Indeed,  Miss  Sarah,  if  you  have  been 


48  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

a close  observer  during  the  time  you  have 
been  in  Korea,  you  must  have  been  struck  by 
the  fact  that,  so  far  as  outward  signs  go,  the 
Koreans  are  a people  without  any  religion.” 

“ Yes,  I have  heard  my  uncle  say  that,  un- 
like the  people  of  China  and  Japan,  where 
temples  are  as  thick  as  cones  on  a pine,  they 
rarely  ever  build  a temple ; that  there  is  only 
one  other  in  Seoul,  and  that  the  erection  of 
both  are  due  to  the  king.” 

“ You  will  find  it  so  in  all  the  cities  and 
larger  towns  of  Korea,  especially  the  walled 
ones,”  remarked  Mr.  Vance.  “ It  has  been  a 
priestless  and  templeless  land  ever  since  the 
Buddhists  were  driven  out  three  centuries 
ago.” 

“ Why  did  they  drive  them  out,  father  ? ” 
asked  Margaret. 

“ It  was  brought  about  through  the  Japa- 
nese invasion,  my  dear.  Koreans  claim  that 
the  Japanese  soldiers,  disguised  as  Buddhist 
priests,  gained  entrance  to  the  city  ; that  they 
not  only  opened  the  gates  to  others,  but  that 
they  went  about  the  streets  putting  the  inhab- 
itants to  death  at  the  point  of  the  sword. 
When  peace  reigned  again,  the  king  issued  a 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  49 

decree  that  all  temples  were  to  be  abandoned 
and  torn  down  and  all  priests  banished. 
That  decree  was  never  modified  until  1784, 
when  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  were  al- 
lowed to  enter,  and  finally  in  1884,  an  even 
more  liberal  spirit  was  shown  in  favor  of 
Protestant  missionaries.” 

“ I wonder  the  Buddhist  priests  don’t  come 
back,”  exclaimed  Arthur. 

“ They  are  too  well  fixed  at  their  monas- 
teries in  the  mountains,”  his  father  replied. 
“ They  have  planted  and  watered  for  years, 
and  many  of  the  monastery  grounds  are  veri- 
table Edens,  I understand.  Besides,  they 
have  now  succeeded  in  getting  a hold  upon 
the  people  of  the  country  and  villages,  their 
fees  are  ample,  and  they  do  not  wish  to  give 
up  a sure  living  to  run  the  risk  of  a far 
scantier  one  in  the  city.” 

It  was  the  last  of  April  and  the  air  was  de- 
lightfully fragrant  with  the  scent  of  many 
open  flowers.  Azaleas,  clematis  and  honey- 
suckles grew  in  wild  profusion  upon  almost 
every  hill  and  mountainside. 

At  the  summit  of  an  eminence  a mile  or  so 
from  the  gates,  they  paused  to  look  back. 


50  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

The  whole  city  of  Seoul  lay  stretched  out 
before  them.  It  looked  like  an  immense 
enclosure  filled  with  innumerable  hay  ricks 
— the  huts  of  the  lower  class — jumbled  to- 
gether, with  a structure  here  and  there  in  the 
midst  of  a garden,  for  all  the  world  like  a big 
barn,  which  marked  the  home  of  one  of  the 
wealthier  class. 

“ What  is  that  enclosure  near  the  centre  of 
the  city,”  asked  Wilbur  suddenly,  “that  is 
filled  from  end  to  end  with  big  barns?  ” 

“ Why,  those  are  the  King’s  palaces,”  re- 
plied Arthur  with  a laugh.  “ We  must  go 
there,  Wilbur,  when  we  get  back.” 

They  found  the  sampan  moored  close  to  the 
shore  at  the  foot  of  a slight  declivity.  All 
was  bustle  about  it.  Figures  in  white  gowns 
and  broad-brimmed  hats  were  moving  to  and 
fro,  some  helping  to  get  the  sampan  ready  for 
the  start ; while  others  again  were  looking 
on  in  idle  curiosity. 

They  had  dismounted  and  were  about  to 
proceed  to  the  sampan,  when  suddenly  Mar- 
garet heard  Dr.  Griffin  say  to  her  father, 

“ This  is  Myo,  our  chief  sampan  man.  We 
were  truly  fortunate  to  get  him,  for  I do  not 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  51 


know  how  we  could  have  proceeded  up  the 
Han  without  him.” 

Attracted  by  the  words,  Margaret  turned, 
and  there,  standing  not  six  feet  away  from 
her,  was  the  man  with  the  amber-colored  eyes 
— he  whom  she  believed  had  hidden  the 
cherry  wood  box  in  the  marble  pagoda. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  HEAD  POLEMAN 

It  was  without  doubt  the  very  same  man. 
Margaret  could  not  be  mistaken  ; his  person- 
ality had  been  too  vividly  stamped  upon  her 
mind.  The  man  with  the  amber-colored  eyes 
who  had  attracted  her  attention  in  the  street, 
and  whom  she  had  seen  acting  so  queerly  in 
the  pagoda,  and  Myo-Sang,  he  who  was  to  be 
their  head  poleman  during  the  sampan  trip 
up  the  Han,  were  one  and  the  same ! 

Margaret  was  so  taken  by  surprise  she  ac- 
tually gasped.  But  she  had  presence  of  mind 
to  check  the  exclamation  of  dismay  that 
sprang  naturally  to  her  lips.  At  that  moment 
she  heard  Arthur  give  a low  whistle,  and 
turning,  their  eyes  met. 

“ It’s  the  very  rogue ! ” he  said  in  an  un- 
dertone. “ Now,  what  are  we  to  do?  ” 

Margaret  caught  his  sleeve  and  pulled  him 
to  one  side.  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  and 
the  new  poleman  were  in  earnest  conversa- 

52 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  53 

tion.  Wilbur,  Stephen  and  Sarah  had  walked 
on  toward  the  sampan. 

“ Let  us  be  careful,”  whispered  Margaret, 
“ or  he  might  hear.”  * 

“ I don’t  see  anything  we  can  do,”  said 
Arthur  after  a moment,  “ at  least,  not  at  pres- 
ent.” 

“ You  mean  now  the  man  is  here,  he  will 
have  to  go  on  with  us  ? ” 

“ Yes,  that  is  it.  There  is  no ' other  way 
just  now,  Margaret.” 

“ 0 but,  Arthur,  the  very  sight  of  him 
makes  me  shiver.  I am  sure  he-as  after  no 
good  here.” 

“ Now,  Meg,  let  us  be  reasonable.  We 
really  don’t  know  a thing  against  this  man, 
except  that  his  actions  on  two  occasions  have 
seemed  to  us  suspicious.  That  he  was  doing 
what  he  had  no  business  to  do  has  not 
been  proven  by  any  means,  except  the  time 
he  displayed  such  curiosity  in  the  market- 
place.” 

“ But  there  are  his  eyes,  Arthur ! What 
dreadful  eyes  he  has  ! The  very  thought  of 
them  makes  me  grow  cold.” 

“ But,  my  dear  Margaret,  the  man  can’t 


54  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

help  his  eyes ! And  it  would  upset  all  our 
plans,  I am  sure,”  asserted  Arthur,  “ if  we 
were  to  tell  our  suspicions  now  and  make 
complaint  of  the  man.  I heard  both  Dr. 
Griffin  and  father  say  that  they  really  did  not 
know  how  we  could  have  undertaken  the 
trip  up  the  Han  without  such  a poleman  as 
Myo-Sang.  On  the  north  branch  of  the  Han 
there  are  several  dangerous  rapids.  Unless 
the  polemen  know  the  channel,  there  is  every 
prospect  that  our  sampan  would  be  wrecked. 
Myo-Sang  is  said  to  know  these  unsafe  places 
well.” 

“ Then  I suppose  there  is  nothing  to  do  but 
to  keep  quiet,”  said  Margaret.  “ But  I can 
tell  you  one  thing,  Arthur,”  she  concluded 
and  with  energy,  “ I am  going  to  watch  him, 
and  if  I see  that  old  Myo-Sang  doing  any- 
thing I think  he  oughtn’t  to  be  doing,  I am 
going  to  speak  right  out  to  father  and  Dr. 
Griffin,  I don’t  care  if  we  are  right  in  the 
middle  of  the  Han  River  ! ” 

“ Well,  I don’t  blame  you  for  that,  Meg.  I 
intend  to  adopt  the  same  course  myself.  I’ll 
certainly  keep  not  only  one  eye  but  both  on 
Myo.  Until,  however,  we  do  find  him  acting 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  55 

suspiciously,  I think  our  best  course  is  not  to 
say  anything  to  father  and  Dr.  Griffin.” 

Sarah’s  voice  was  heard  at  this  moment 
calling  to  Margaret,  and  she  was  running  up 
the  slope  toward  them,  her  face  beaming  with 
excitement. 

“ O Margaret,  do  hurry  and  come  to  see  the 
dear  little  snuggery  they’ve  fixed  up  for  us 
aboard  the  sampan.  It  is  just  too  lovely  for 
words ! And  to  think  it  is  to  be  all  our 
own ! ” 

The  sampan  lay  a few  feet  off  shore  beneath 
the  shade  of  a spreading  persimmon,  gently 
rocking  with  the  tide  that  softly  lapped  the 
banks.  A wide  plank,  some  eight  or  ten  feet 
in  length,  carefully  secured,  with  one  end  on 
shore  and  one  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel,  gave 
access  to  it  dry  shod.  This  had  been  arranged 
for  the  benefit  of  the  party  that  had  come 
over  the  hills  from  Seoul.  As  to  the  pole- 
men,  they  waded  about  in  the  shallow  water 
to  and  from  the  boat  with  the  utmost  indif- 
ference. 

The  sampan  was  one  larger  than  those 
generally  used  by  the  natives.  It  belonged 
to  a retired  tradesman  of  Seoul,  who  now  and 


56  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

then  made  trips  with  his  family  up  the  Han 
for  pleasure.  He  had  allowed  Mr.  Vance  to 
have  such  alterations  made  in  the  craft  as 
suited  his  purpose. 

The  boat  was  thirty-six  feet  long,  by  seven 
in  width  at  its  widest  part,  gradually 
tapering  to  five  feet  at  either  end.  It  drew 
eight  inches  of  water,  and  the  narrow  deck 
that  ran  along  each  side  was  just  three  feet 
above  water  line.  There  was  a framework, 
well  secured,  which  supported  an  awning  of 
water-tight  straw  mats.  This  could  be  rolled 
up  or  let  down  at  pleasure.  Near  the  centre 
was  a cunning  little  cabin,  five  feet  by  seven, 
which  Mr.  Vance  had  fitted  up  for  Margaret 
and  Sarah,  and  in  which  their  effects  had 
already  been  placed. 

“ Isn’t  it  lovely?  ” Sarah  repeated.  “ How 
good  of  your  father  to  think  of  us  and  pre- 
pare for  us  so  ! ” 

“ Yes,  he  is  just  the  best  father  in  the 
world ! ” Margaret  acquiesced,  her  eyes  glow- 
ing with  pleasure  at  Sarah’s  praise,  “ and  I 
am  going  to  tell  him  so  the  moment  I have 
opportunity.  But,  Sarah,”  she  added,  her 
eyes  twinkling  with  merriment,  “ there’s  one 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  57 

thing  we’ll  surely  have  to  keep  our  minds 
on.” 

“ Why,  what  is  that?  ” asked  Sarah  quickly. 

“ To  sit  down  before  we  try  to  turn  around, 
or  else  we’ll  bump  our  heads  every  time.  Yes, 
and  there’s  still  another.  We  must  never 
rise  too  suddenly,  for  if  we  do,  we’re  sure  to 
strike  the  ridge-pole,  and  then  down  may 
come  the  whole  awning.” 

Forward  of  the  girls’  apartment  was  a simi- 
lar one  to  be  occupied  by  Mr.  Vance  and 
Dr.  Griffin,  and  back  of  it  still  another  for 
the  boys. 

The  remaining  portions  of  the  boat,  except 
those  in  which  the  supplies  were  stored,  were 
given  up  to  the  boatmen  and  to  Dr.  Griffin’s 
Chinese  servant,  Min. 

The  boatmen’s  quarters  were  at  the  ends  of 
the  boat,  a small  cuddy  hole  no  more  than 
four  by  five  feet.  Here  they  stood  during  the 
day  to  pole,  and  at  night,  when  the  boat  was 
tied  up,  they  curled  up  there  and  went  to 
sleep  with  the  greatest  apparent  comfort. 

The  supplies  had  all  been  carried  aboard 
under  Min’s  direction.  He  had  been  work- 
ing through  the  day  before  and  since  sunrise 


58  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


on  this  day,  and  he  was  justly  proud  of  what 
he  had  accomplished.  He  stood  at  the  edge 
of  the  sampan  to  welcome  them  aboard  with 
the  air  of  the  king  himself  aboard  the  royal 
barge.  This  amused  Dr.  Griffin  very  much, 
and  he  indulged  in  no  little  amount  of  pleas- 
antry at  Min’s  expense.  The  more  he  was 
guyed,  however,  the  broader  grew  the  smile 
on  Min’s  face. 

The  young  Chinese  was  a big,  cheery  fel- 
low, of  nineteen  or  thereabouts,  larger  than 
the  men  of  his  race  usually  are,  and  with 
much  more  regular  features.  In  fact  Min 
was  a handsome  Chinese  youth,  and  there 
was  that  to  recommend  him  which  was  far 
better  still.  He  was  bright,  good-natured, 
obliging  and  trusty,  and  Dr.  Griffin,  with 
whom  he  had  been  four  years,  valued  him 
highly. 

Min  had  received  an  education  at  the  mis- 
sion-house and  spoke  English  fairly  well. 
There  was  another  thing  Min  could  do  well 
that  had  given  Arthur  no  little  concern  ever 
since  he  heard  that  Min  was  to  be  of  the 
party  aboard  the  sampan.  Min  was  a royal 
eater  ; he  was  always  hungry. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  59 

“ Hello,  Min/’  cried  Arthur,  grasping  the 
hand  the  young  Chinese  extended,  “plenty 
to  eat  aboard  ? ” 

“ Yes,”  smiled  Min. 

“ Ducks  and  chickens  and  eggs,  and  a 
young  pig  or  two  ? ” 

“ No  ducks,  no  chickens,  no  eggs,”  repeated 
Min,  shaking  his  head,  “ get  them  as  go  along. 
The  doctor  man  say  this  best.  Get  him  fresh. 
Shoot  duck  in  river,”  and  Min  held  his  hands 
in  front  of  him  to  indicate  a gun ; “ catch 
fish,  too,”  he  ended,  beaming  upon  Arthur. 

“Can  we,  Min?”  cried  Stephen.  “Catch 
them  from  the  boat?  O that  will  be  jolly  ! ” 
he  added,  as  Min  nodded  his  head  again. 

“ What ! ” ejaculated  Arthur.  “ No  ducks, 
no  chickens,  no  eggs,  not  even  a pig  ? and  you 
aboard,  too,  Min.  O,  now  I know  we’re  bound 
to  have  a famine.” 

“ Plenty  rice ! plenty  flour ! plenty  meat 
and  fish  in  cans ! ” exclaimed  Min,  “ and 
there’s  big  basket,  too,  brought  from  mission- 
house  ! ” 

“ 0,the  basket  our  mother  prepared.  Where 
is  it,  Min  ? I feel  as  hungry  as  a wolf 
just  to  hear  it  mentioned.  You  are  sure, 


6o  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


now,  Min,  you  haven’t  been  sampling  its 
contents  ? ” 

Min  looked  reproachful. 

“ Basket  got  lock  on,”  lie  replied  inno- 
cently, at  which  Arthur  went  off  into  bois- 
terous laughter. 

“ O that's  the  reason,  is  it?  ” he  exclaimed. 
“ She  knew  you'd  be  aboard,  Min,  and  that 
accounts  for  the  lock.” 

“ Arthur,  aren’t  you  ashamed  to  tease  Min 
so,”  protested  Margaret,  “ when  you  know  he 
is  just  as  honest  as  the  day  is  bright,”  and 
Margaret  glanced  at  the  cloudless  sky  above 
them.  “ You  know,  too,  that  if  it  wasn’t  for 
Min,  we'd  have  no  cooking  aboard  this  sampan 
that  amounted  to  anything.  Now  you  take 
his  hand  quickly  and  tell  him  you  are 
ashamed  of  all  you’ve  intimated,  for  if  you 
don’t,  I’ll  see  to  it  that  Min  doesn’t  give  you 
a single  nice  thing  he  cooks.” 

“ O if  the  apology  prevents  my  being 
starved,”  exclaimed  Arthur,  his  eyes  in  a 
twinkle,  “ I’ll  make  it  forthwith,”  and  he 
grasped  Min’s  hand  with  a grip  that  made 
him  wince. 

“ If  you  two  girls  were  to  guess  a year,” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  61 


exclaimed  Arthur,  throwing  his  head  up  with 
an  air  of  knowing  a great  deal,  “ I’ll  wager 
you  couldn’t  tell  with  what  this  boat  is 
ballasted.” 

“ With  sand,”  ventured  Sarah. 

“ With  rocks,”  added  Margaret. 

“ No  ; with  neither.” 

“ Then  you  will  have  to  tell  us,  as  a year  is 
quite  too  long  for  us  to  go  on  racking  our 
brains  for  answers.” 

“ Well,  then,  it  is  ballasted  with  money  ! 
with  strings  and  strings  of  the  square-holed 
copper  cash,  of  which  it  takes  more  than  three 
thousand  to  make  the  value  of  an  American 
dollar  ! ” 

“ O then  for  once  we  can  put  on  grand  airs 
and  imagine  ourselves  nabobs  ! ” exclaimed 
Stephen  ; “ since  we  have  a boat  load  of 
money  ! ” 

“ But  what  are  we  to  do  for  ballast  when 
the  money  is  spent  ? ” asked  practical 
Margaret. 

“ Then,  no  doubt,  we  shall  have  to  resort  to 
the  sand  bags,”  replied  Sarah. 

“ Let  us  push  off  at  once,”  Mr.  Vance  called 
to  his  head  poleman.  “ If  we  are  to  reach  the 


62  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


first  stage  of  our  journey  by  sundown,  we 
should  start  now.” 

Myo-Sang  bowed  profoundly,  then  at  once 
began  to  issue  orders  to  the  under  boatmen. 
He  had  changed  his  white  gown  for  his  boat- 
man’s jacket  and  trousers  of  blue  cotton 
cloth,  but  he  still  wore  his  big,  broad-brimmed 
hat.  He  would  change  it,  however,  for  one 
much  smaller  when  there  was  a rough  breeze 
blowing,  or  he  had  to  bend  with  much  energy 
to  the  poling  where  the  currents  were  strong. 

As  soon  as  she  could  without  attracting  his 
attention,  Margaret  drew  near  and  began 
closely  to  inspect  Myo-Sang.  His  eyes  were 
turned  away  from  her,  and  she  had  to  confess 
now  that  he  was  rather  a fine  looking  man. 
His  features  had  an  aristocratic  cast  that  she 
had  seen  in  very  few  Koreans,  and  he  was 
much  taller  than  the  average  men  of  his  race. 
In  fact,  Myo-Sang  bore  himself  with  an  air  of 
ease  and  grace  that  had  struck  others  than 
Margaret  with  surprise.  There  was  more  than 
surprise  now  in  Margaret’s  feeling ; she  was 
attracted  by  his  appearance.  The  head  pole- 
man  did  indeed  present  a most  picturesque 
figure  in  his  boatman’s  costume,  notwith- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  63 

standing  that  his  stockings  were  so  padded 
they  gave  his  legs  the  swelled  appearance  of 
gout,  and  made  them  seem  as  though  they 
would  burst  out  of  the  low  shoes. 

Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  selected  the 
month  of  May  for  the  trip  up  the  Han  be- 
cause of  the  delightful  weather  they  were 
sure  to  have.  In  Korea  for  eight  months  or 
more  of  the  year  the  skies  are  generally  bright. 
July,  August  and  September  are  the  hot  and 
rainy  months.  At  this  season  the  rain  pours 
in  torrents,  so  that  out-of-door  journeys  of 
any  length  are  rarely  attempted  during  these 
months.  In  May  there  are  few  days  when 
the  sky  is  not  cloudless,  the  atmosphere 
dry  and  healthful,  and  the  breezes  balmy.  At 
the  dry  season,  too,  the  waters  of  the  Han  are 
low  and  the  channel  far  safer  for  flat-bot- 
tomed boats  than  when  they  are  caught  by 
sudden  floods. 

“ O what  a lovely  stream  ! ” cried  Margaret 
enthusiastically  as  she  leaned  over  the  side  of 
the  sampan,  trailing  her  fingers  through  the 
water.  “ No  wonder  they  call  it  the  River  of 
Golden  Sands ! Just  see,  Sarah,  how  beauti- 
fully the  gravel  sparkles.  And  isn’t  it  clear  ? 


64  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Why,  we  can  see  straight  down  to  the  very 
bottom  of  the  river.” 

“ Well,  that  isn’t  so  very  surprising,”  re- 
marked Arthur  with  a smile,  “ since  the  water 
is  only  three  feet  deep.” 

“ Is  it  shallow  like  this  for  most  of  the 
way  ? ” asked  Sarah. 

“ O no  ; from  what  the  polemen  tell  me 
there  are  several  places  where  the  river 
widens  out  like  a lake  and  is  twenty  or 
twenty-five  feet  deep.  At  other  points,  how- 
ever, it  is  even  shallower  than  this,  no  more 
than  a few  inches  in  depth.” 

“A  few  inches?”  echoed  Sarah.  “Then 
how  are  we  to  go  over  it  in  a boat,  I’d  like  to 
know  ? ” 

“ I don’t  suspect  we’ll  float,”  laughed 
Arthur.  “ In  truth,  I think  our  polemen 
will  have  to  drag  us  over.” 

“ Just  see  how  it  sparkles  there ! ” cried 
Sarah  suddenly.  “ I do  believe  those  are 
diamonds.” 

“ I wouldn’t  be  surprised,”  assented  Marga- 
ret gaily,  “ since  the  Han,  you  know,  rises  in 
the  Diamond  Mountains.” 

“ I do  wonder  if  I could  persuade  one  of 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  65 

the  boatmen  to  get  me  a handful  of  the 
gravel,”  said  Sarah  after  a moment.  “ I want 
Uncle  Arnold  to  see  it.  He  takes  such  an 
interest  in  such  things.  I do  believe  I’ll  ask 
Myo.” 

“ Ask  any  one  but  Myo,”  said  Margaret 
quickly,  and  scarcely  knowing  why  she  said 
it.  “ I think  Myo  wouldn’t  at  all  fancy  wet- 
ting his  stockings.” 

“ O I never  thought  of  his  going  into  the 
water  in  his  stockings,”  exclaimed  Sarah. 
“ He  could  pull  them  off,  couldn’t  he  ? ” 

“ No,  don’t  ask  Myo,”  said  Margaret  again, 
“he  has  quite  too  much  dignity  for  such  an  un- 
dertaking. Ask  one  of  the  younger  boatmen, 
Sarah,  and  I’m  sure  he  will  get  the  gravel 
for  you.  But  what  is  Myo  doing  ? ” 

The  question  was  addressed  to  Arthur,  who, 
even  before  Margaret  asked  it,  had  had  his  at- 
tention drawn  to  Myo-Sang. 

Myo-Sang  was  at  that  moment  in  the  bow 
of  the  boat.  He  was  not  directing  the  pol- 
ing; this  duty  having  devolved  for  the  time 
upon  Kang-see. 

Myo  was  sitting  flat  upon  the  bottom  of  the 
small  cuddy  forming  the  boatmen’s  quarters, 


66  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


and  only  his  shoulders  and  head  were  in 
view.  He  had  taken  something  from  the 
bosom  of  his  boatman's  blouse  and  was  bend- 
ing over  it.  As  well  as  they  could  see  it  ap- 
peared to  be  a sheet  of  heavy  paper  much 
crumpled  and  worn.  As  they  looked,  Myo 
began  to  mutter  and  to  gesticulate  with  some 
violence.  Then  he  held  the  paper  at  arm’s 
length,  and  bowing  his  head  between  his 
curved  arms  raised  and  lowered  it  alternately 
several  times  in  the  most  mysterious  manner. 

“ O it  is  some  fetish,  no  doubt,"  said  Arthur. 
He  had  no  need  to  whisper,  as  Sarah  had  gone 
to  another  part  of  the  boat  to  make  her  re- 
quest of  one  of  the  young  polemen.  “ Per- 
haps it  may  be  some  charm  the  mutang 1 has 
arranged  for  him  to  keep  him  out  of  danger. 
Suppose  now,"  added  Arthur  suddenly,  “ that 
we’ve  shipped  a maniac  along  with  us." 

“ O Arthur,"  cried  Margaret  with  a shiver, 
“ don’t  even  hint  such  a thing,  for  mercy’s 
sake.  You  make  me  feel  as  if  I had  fallen 
into  icewater." 


1 Sorceress. 


CHAPTER  V 


“ THE  RIVER  OF  GOLDEN  SANDS  ” 

Next  to  the  Amnok,  now  called  the  Yalu, 
the  Han  is  the  most  important  river  of  Korea. 
It  is  the  great  water  highway  leading  from 
hundreds  of  interior  towns  to  the  Korean 
Mecca,  Seoul  the  capital.  There  are  two  main 
branches,  which  are  formed  by  numberless 
small  affluents.  It  was  up  the  north  branch, 
which  flows  down  from  the  Diamond  Moun- 
tains, that  our  little  sampan  party  had  the  in- 
tention of  proceeding. 

Stretched  along  the  narrow  deck,  which  was 
guarded  by  a railing,  Wilbur  and  Arthur  gave 
themselves  up  to  lazy  enjoyment.  Wilbur 
had  his  Winchester  and  Arthur  had  brought 
his  camera,  but  neither  thought  of  using  them 
yet,  though  both  duck  and  mallard  were  fly- 
ing overhead,  and  there  was  no  point  along 
the  river  more  picturesque  than  this  one. 
Stephen  had  edged  himself  into  the  little 
cabin  occupied  by  his  father  and  Dr.  Griffin, 

67 


68  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


and  was  listening  intently  to  their  conversa- 
tion. It  was  chiefly  about  the  Buddhist  mon- 
astery in  the  mountains,  a mile  or  so  off  the 
banks  of  the  Han,  to  which  each  desired  to 
make  a visit,  yet  feared  to  attempt  it,  owing 
to  the  well-known  animosity  of  the  priests 
against  those  who  had  usurped  them  in  Seoul. 

“ We  might  go  in  disguise,”  suggested  Dr. 
Griffin. 

“ Oh,  that  would  never  do,”  quickly  replied 
Mr.  Vance ; a we  must  not  sail  under  false 
colors  even  to  satisfy  a laudable  curiosity.” 

“ But,  Mr.  Vance,  if  the  end  in  view  justi- 
fies the  means,  I do  not  see  how  it  would  be 
wrong,  if  it  ensures  safety  to  us  in  our  search. 
Some  of  these  priests  are  not  only  antagonistic, 
but  they  are  treacherous,  as  you  know.  They 
do  not  stop  short  of  harsh  measures  to  satisfy 
the  spirit  of  revenge,  as  we  have  seen  in  the 
case  of  my  poor  brother  Walter.” 

Dr.  Griffin  always  lowered  his  voice  when 
he  spoke  of  his  brother,  and  there  was  in  it, 
too,  that  reverent  tone  in  which  we  speak  of 
the  dead. 

“ No,  I do  not  forget  it,  Charles,  and  he  had 
truly  a narrow  escape  from  a lifetime  confine- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  69 

ment,  which  would  have  been  worse  than 
death  to  one  of  his  temperament.  But,  dear 
friend,”  continued  Mr.  Vance  earnestly,  “ I do 
not  see  how  we  can,  to  be  consistent  with  our 
calling,  appear  as  what  we  are  not.  To  be 
open  and  above  board,  even  at  a risk,  is,  I 
think,  the  best  way.  All  of  the  priests  are 
not  treacherous.  I have  heard  of  one  or  two, 
even  at  the  very  monastery  we  seek,  whose 
lives  are  a sincere  expression  of  the  peace  and 
gentleness  of  the  doctrine  they  teach.  Trav- 
elers in  peril  have  been  rescued  by  them,  min- 
istered to,  and  sent  on  their  way  again  filled 
with  naught  but  words  of  blessing  for  the 
priests.” 

“ But  they  were  no  doubt  travelers  whose 
calling  did  not  bring  them  into  conflict  with 
the  priests’  own.  Of  course  you  have  heard 
the  many  stories  of  the  bitterness  of  Paik-tu, 
the  abbot  of  this  very  monastery  we  seek? 
Dear  friend,  I beg  that  you  will  recall  that 
one  of  the  principal  objects  I have  in  going  on 
this  trip  is  the  desire  to  find  more  of  my 
brother’s  effects,  and,  above  all,  to  learn  more 
of  his  last  days.” 

Mr.  Vance  did  not  answer  immediately ; 


70  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

he  was  thinking  deeply.  His  sympathies 
were  keen  for  the  young  man  who  had  lost 
his  only  brother  under  such  tragic  circum- 
stances. He  was  thinking,  too,  of  the  young 
sister-in-law  at  home  whose  life  had  suddenly 
been  darkened  by  the  tragedy  on  the  Han. 
After  a moment  he  spoke. 

“ I will  say  no  more,  Charles,  in  opposition 
to  your  plan.  When  the  time  comes,  it  will 
no  doubt  be  shown  to  us  clearly  the  better 
and  wiser  way  in  which  to  carry  out  our 
desires.” 

Meanwhile,  Margaret  and  Sarah,  comforta- 
bly established  on  some  tarpaulin-covered 
bales  containing  supplies,  in  the  forward  part 
of  the  boat,  were  intently  watching  Myo-Sang 
and  making  him  the  subject  of  a very  cau- 
tiously spoken  conversation.  Myo  had  a sur- 
prising knowledge  of  English.  They  had 
discovered  that  almost  at  once.  He  had,  too, 
a very  quick  ear,  and  a habit  of  glancing 
quickly  about  him  every  now  and  then  as 
though  he  feared  some  one  was  either  watch- 
ing him  or  making  him  the  subject  of  re- 
marks. In  other  words,  Myo  appeared  to  be 
not  only  a shrewd  but  a very  sensitive  man. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  71 


Margaret  had  told  Sarah  of  the  somewhat 
strange  circumstance  attending  Arthur’s  in- 
troduction to  Myo,  also  bestowing  the  infor- 
mation that  he  was  the  mysterious  man  seen 
in  the  pagoda.  She  had  bound  Sarah  to 
strict  secrecy  until  such  time  as  the  conduct 
of  Myo  should  compel  their  speaking  out. 
From  present  indications  Margaret  was  sure 
this  would  not  be  long.  Her  creepy  feeling 
had  considerably  increased  since  Myo’s  mys- 
terious behavior  with  the  piece  of  crumpled 
paper.  What  did  it  contain  ? Over  and  over 
Margaret  had  asked  herself  the  question,  and 
over  and  over  again  she  declared,  “ I will  yet 
find  out.” 

Now  that  Sarah,  too,  knew  that  Myo  and 
the  mysterious  amber-eyed  man  of  the  pagoda 
were  one  and  the  same,  she  was  even  more 
nervous  than  Margaret  about  him. 

“ It  will  be  wise,  I am  sure,”  Margaret  de- 
clared, “ to  keep  a watch  on  him.  Most  of 
these  Han  boatmen,  I have  heard,  are  quite 
tricky  ; even  worse  than  that.  I cannot  for- 
get how  poor  Mr.  Walter’s  death  was  brought 
about  through  their  meanness  and  treach- 
ery.” 


72  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ Were  they  really  responsible  for  his 
death  ? ” asked  Sarah  in  a hushed  voice. 

The  sad  story  of  this  cheery  and  brilliant 
young  man,  whom  all  had  loved  so  much, 
had  made  a deep  impression  upon  her. 

“ It  was  never  known  just  how  he  died  ! I 
am  sure,”  Margaret  added  with  a sudden 
vehemence  that  surprised  Sarah,  “ there 
wasn't  half  enough  done  to  find  out  about  it. 
Poor  Dr.  Charles  had  a serious  illness  at  that 
very  time,  and  it  was  three  months  or  more 
before  he  could  get  off  up  the  river.  When 
at  last  he  could  go,  it  seemed  that  every 
trace  had  been  covered,  that  he  was  baffled 
at  every  point  of  the  search.  He  could  re- 
. cover  only  a fragment  here  and  there  of  his 
brother’s  effects,  though  much  of  these,  ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  some  villagers, 
had  been  fished  up  out  of  the  river.  He  does 
not  know  whether  his  brother’s  body  is  at 
the  bottom  of  the  Han  or  was  carried  ashore 
to  be  buried.” 

During  their  first  day’s  trip  they  found  the 
Han  much  crowded  with  sampans  and  other 
small  craft.  Han  Kang  was  something  of  a 
congregating  place,  and  many  of  the  less  self- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  73 

assured  polemen  made  it  their  terminal  point, 
dreading  to  encounter  at  low  water  shoals  be- 
tween it  and  Seoul.  From  this  point  the 
merchandise  of  such  boatmen  was  packed  on 
pony  back  and  carried  to  the  capital. 

Most  of  the  craft  they  met  were  loaded  with 
produce  from  the  market  towns  up  the  river, 
which  was  consigned  to  the  dealers  in  Seoul. 
There  were  also  scores  of  craft  bound  up  the 
river.  The  cargo  of  these  consisted  of  salt 
from  the  coast  and  bales  of  cotton  goods  sent 
to  Seoul  from  foreign  ports. 

The  polemen  had  to  exercise  great  care  to 
avoid  certain  of  the  sampans  that  drove 
straight  toward  them  in  the  most  reckless 
manner,  and  there  was  more  than  one  shoal 
the  rough  channel  of  which  made  the  hearts 
of  our  young  people  beat  more  rapidly,  but 
they  reached  their  destination  that  evening 
in  safety.  The  sampan  was  poled  to  the 
shore,  and  they  tied  up  for  the  night  near  a 
village,  where,  thanks  to  the  mosquito  netting 
they  had  brought,  they  passed  the  time  com- 
fortably until  morning. 

Up  to  this  time  they  had  made  use  of  the 
contents  of  the  basket  sent  from  the  mission 


74  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

house.  On  the  following  morning,  however, 
the  young  people  were  clamorous  for  the 
services  of  Min.  They  wanted  a warm  meal 
and  they  wanted  to  go  ashore  for  its  prepara- 
tion and  eating.  But  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr. 
Griffin  said  that  the  route  for  the  day  was 
four  or  five  miles  longer  than  the  one  of  the 
preceding  day,  and  they  must  make  an  early 
start.  The  delay  of  going  ashore  for  the 
breakfast  would  sadly  disarrange  the  plan  of 
reaching  the  proposed  harbor  before  sunset. 

“ Min  shall  cook  you  a fine  lunch  aboard,” 
Dr.  Griffin  assured  them,  “ and  we’ll  have  it 
early.  There,  I see  that  Kang  has  already 
secured  for  us  two  excellent  fish  from  the 
river.  When  they  are  broiled  as  only  Min 
knows  how  to  do  it,  and  we  have  some  of  the 
delicious  home-made  bread  from  the  mission, 
and  the  fruit  we  purchased  on  the  way,  there 
will  be  a meal  the  king  himself  wouldn’t 
scorn.” 

“ I intend  to  sit  by  Min  and  see  him  pre- 
pare those  fish,”  announced  Arthur  soon  after 
the  sampan  had  started.  “ If  I don’t,  I fear 
one  of  them  at  least  will  mysteriously  disap- 
pear after  Min  has  browned  it.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  75 

“ Oh,  if  you  want  to  play  recluse  simply 
for  the  sake  of  your  stomach,  why,  go  ahead,” 
laughed  Margaret.  “ We  are  going  to  enjoy 
the  river.” 

Min  determined  to  retaliate  a little  upon 
Arthur,  for  his  joking.  He  pretended  to 
have  lost  one  of  the  fish.  When  a great  hue 
and  cry,  led  by  himself,  was  raised  at  its  dis- 
appearance, it  was  quickly  located  wrapped  in 
a bit  of  tarpaulin  and  snugly  tucked  among 
Arthur’s  effects. 

“ Who  greedy  one  now,  I’d  like  to  know  ? ” 
cried  Min  hilariously.  “ So  greedy  for  fish, 
want  to  eat  it  raw  ! ” 

At  which  Arthur  with  a somewhat  sheepish 
face  stole  away  to  join  the  girls.  But  the 
news  of  the  hidden  fish  had  preceded  him, 
and  for  the  next  few  moments  his  life  was 
made  a torment. 

It  was  not  more  than  an  hour  later  when 
Min  was  seen  to  be  in  a state  of  considerable 
commotion.  He  was  darting  hither  and 
thither,  pulling  over  first  one  bale  and  an- 
other, poking  among  boxes,  and  even  run- 
ning in  and  out  of  the  little  cabins,  like  a 
hound  searching  for  a trail  that  had  been  lost. 


76  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  Min  now  ? ” 
suddenly  exclaimed  Arthur.  “ He  is  acting 
as  though  he  had  lost  every  atom  of  sense  he 
ever  possessed.” 

“ Perhaps  he  has  really  lost  a fish  this 
time,”  replied  Margaret,  “ dropped  it  over- 
board. Why,  what  does  ail  him?  Can  he 
be  in  pain?  Just  see  the  contortions  of  his 
face ! ” 

“ Perhaps  there  is  something  biting  him,” 
suggested  Stephen.  “ It  may  have  gotten  into 
his  clothes,  and  he  can’t  get  it  out  again.  Per- 
haps it  is  crawling  up  his  back.”  At  which 
suggestion  all  laughed  merrily. 

“ He  has  certainly  lost  something  he  can’t 
find,”  said  Sarah.  “ He  is  acting  more  like 
that  than  anything  else.  Call  him  here  and 
find  out  what  is  the  matter.  Oh,  I do  hope 
he  hasn’t  let  the  fish  slip  overboard  when  he 
went  to  scale  them.” 

“ If  he  had  done  that,”  suggested  Margaret, 
“ he  wouldn’t  be  rushing  around  the  boat  in 
search  of  them.” 

“ Min,”  cried  Arthur,  “ come  here.  What 
in  the  world  is  the  matter  with  you,  old 
boy  ? ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  77 

But  Min  paid  no  heed.  He  had  eyes  at 
that  moment  only  for  his  master,  who  had 
just  come  in  sight.  He  rushed  to  him, 
prostrated  himself,  struck  his  head  once, 
twice,  thrice  hard  upon  the  deck  of  the  boat, 
then,  raising  his  hands  in  supplication,  with 
his  head  still  bowed,  entreated, 

“ Honorable  Master,  pity  your  most  miser- 
able servant.  I have  left  the  charcoal ! ” 

At  first  sight  of  Min  Dr.  Griffin’s  lips  had 
begun  to  curl  in  a smile  of  deep  amusement. 
He  was  used  to  Min’s  extravagant  displays  of 
ceremony  when  there  was  a favor  to  be  asked, 
and  thought  this  one  of  them  ; but  no  sooner 
did  Min’s  confession  come  out  than  the  ex- 
pression of  his  face  changed  suddenly,  and  he 
said  somewhat  sternly, 

“ What  are  you  telling  me,  you  careless 
rogue?  You  have  left  the  charcoal,  one  of 
the  most  necessary  articles,  behind?  Now 
how  did  this  happen  ? ” 

“ I know  not,  Honorable  Master.  I cannot 
see  how  your  miserable,  wretched  servant  could 
have  been  guilty  of  such  mean,  despicable 
carelessness.  My  mind  is  in  a maze  with  as- 
tonishment. Truly  I saw  the  bags  of  char- 


78  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

coal  put  upon  the  ponies’  backs.  I saw  them, 
too,  at  the  river.  Now  where  they  can  be, 
your  sorrowful  servant  cannot  say.  He  has 
searched  the  boat  from  end  to  end,  but  naught 
of  the  charcoal  can  he  find.” 

“ The  bags  have  no  doubt  been  stolen  by 
some  one  in  the  crowd  along  the  river  bank 
while  the  sampan  was  being  loaded,”  re- 
marked Mr.  Vance  at  this  juncture.  He  had 
approached  in  time  to  hear  Min’s  confession 
of  the  loss.  “ Charcoal  is  scarce  in  this  part 
of  the  country,  the  most  of  it  being  brought 
from  points  higher  up  the  river,  where  the 
forests  are  dense.” 

Yes,  the  charcoal  was  gone ! Min  had 
spoken  only  too  truly.  What  were  they  to 
do?  They  had  brought  along  a Japanese 
brazier,  a very  necessary  article  on  a trip  of 
this  kind,  but  without  fuel  of  the  character 
it  consumed,  it  was  of  no  more  benefit  than 
if  they  had  left  it  behind. 

“ Perhaps  we  can  shoot  a couple  of  cranes,” 
said  Margaret,  “ with  a heron  or  two  thrown 
in  for  good  measure,  enough,  at  least,  to  satisfy 
your  hunger,  Arthur.” 

“ But  how  are  they  to  be  cooked  ? ” asked 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  79 

Arthur,  taking  her  banter  good-naturedly. 
“You  forget,  Meg,  that  is  the  main  thing.” 

“ Oh,  I suppose  we  can  land  long  enough 
for  that  purpose  and  gather  faggots  for  the 
cooking.” 

“ And  roast  them  over  the  fire,  as  our 
ancestors  did  in  primitive  days,”  remarked 
Sarah. 

“ Why  can’t  we  buy  some  charcoal  from 
one  of  the  junks  going  down  to  Seoul  with  a 
cargo  of  it  for  sale?  ” asked  Wilbur  suddenly. 

Sure  enough,  why  couldn’t  they  ? It  was  a 
feasible  plan,  yet  none  of  them  had  thought 
of  it  before. 

Min  sprang  to  his  feet  highly  elated  at  the 
thought  of  finding  a way  out  of  the  trouble. 
He  at  once  ran  forward  and  made  the  loss 
known  to  the  boatmen,  then  to  the  afterpart 
to  tell  the  two  who  were  there.  He  begged 
them  to  assist  him  in  keeping  a lookout  for  a 
charcoal  junk,  and  to  be  sure  to  hail  one  in 
time  if  they  believed  it  to  be  such.  They 
must  not  let  it  go  by,  under  any  circum- 
stances. Noon  was  at  hand  and  others  be' 
sides  Arthur  were  beginning  to  feel  the  symp- 
toms of  hunger.  Min  himself  had  consider- 


8o  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


able  gnawing  under  the  folds  of  his  blue 
blouse. 

“If  we  get  not  the  charcoal ,”  said  Min  to 
the  boatmen,  “ and  the  honorable  master  goes 
hungr}',  then  never  again  will  he  want  to  look 
upon  the  face  of  his  abased  and  most  miser- 
able servant.” 

Each  promised  to  help  him,  and  from  that 
moment  on  through  the  next  half  hour  a 
close  watch  was  kept  upon  every  craft  coming 
down  the  river.  Even  Myo  had  unbent  his 
dignity  and  was  on  the  lookout,  having  de- 
clared that  he  would  know  a charcoal  craft 
the  moment  he  saw  it,  being  as  familiar  as  he 
was  with  the  river. 

A half  hour  had  passed,  when  Myo  an- 
nounced suddenly  to  Kang,  who  was  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat  poling,  that  he  felt  assured 
a charcoal  craft  was  in  sight.  The  evidences 
were  too  plain  for  him  to  be  mistaken.  Soon 
the  good  news  was  communicated  to  each  one 
on  the  sampan. 

“ Hurrah  ! ” shouted  Arthur,  “ the  fish  will 
not  have  to  spoil  now  for  the  want  of  cook- 
ing ! ” 

The  junk  came  on  steadily.  Evidently  she 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  81 


had  capable  hands  at  the  poles.  When  within 
hailing  distance  Myo  raised  his  signal  and 
also  shouted  out  his  request  for  a word  with 
her  commander.  The  boat  slackened  pace  for 
a few  moments,  while  those  aboard  her  seemed 
to  be  giving  the  sampan  and  her  occupants 
a close  inspection.  Then  the  poles  were  re- 
sumed with  more  vigor  and  sampan  and  junk 
slowly  neared  each  other.  In  the  meantime, 
the  one  who  seemed  to  be  in  authority  had 
shouted  back  that  there  was  charcoal  aboard 
and  they  could  have  what  they  wanted  for  a 
fair  sum. 

The  junk  made  steady  progress,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  was  within  easy  speaking  dis- 
tance. Then  it  was  seen  that  the  man  who 
had  issued  the  directions  was  not  the  com- 
mander at  all,  simply  having  charge  of  the 
squad  of  boatmen.  He  had  taken  his  orders 
from  a higher  source,  from  a man  who  had 
not  been  visible  to  those  on  the  sampan,  but 
who,  the  moment  the  junk  had  approached  to 
within  a few  feet  of  the  sampan,  arose  sud- 
denly and  addressed  Myo.  No  sooner  had  he 
done  this,  than  a very  strange  thing  happened 
to  Myo-Sang.  He  dropped  in  a heap  at  the 


82  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


bottom  of  the  sampan  and  lay  there  like  one 
dead.  Dr.  Griffin  sprang  to  raise  him,  but 
the  stiffness  of  Myo’s  figure  prevented  him. 
Not  until  Mr.  Vance  lent  his  aid  did  they 
succeed  in  raising  him. 

“ It  is  a fainting  fit,  I think,”  said  Dr. 
Griffin  to  those  who  had  crowded  about.  “ I 
wouldn’t  have  believed  it  of  him  ; he  seems 
so  sturdy.  We’ll  bring  him  around  all  right 
after  a little  time.  I’ll  attend  to  him,  with 
Kang’s  assistance,  and  do  you  see  to  the  pur- 
chase of  the  charcoal,”  this  to  Mr.  Vance. 
“ We  mustn’t  let  this  opportunity  slip.” 

It  took  but  a short  time  to  make  the  ar- 
rangement with  the  owner  of  the  junk  for  as 
much  charcoal  as  they  thought  they  would 
need  until  a village  was  reached  where  they 
were  sure  of  getting  an  additional  supply.  The 
man  was  quite  fair  in  his  charge.  He  had, 
too,  a civil  manner,  yet  it  took  but  a few 
moments  for  him  to  give  evidence  that,  like 
the  most  of  his  race,  he  had  a consuming 
curiosity. 

“ The  man  in  the  stern  is  sick  ? ” he  asked. 

“ He  has  had  only  a sudden  fainting  spell, 
I think,”  replied  Mr.  Vance. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  83 

“ He  seemed  to  get  suddenly  frightened  at 
something  ; perhaps  it  was  at  my  appearance,” 
said  the  owner  of  the  junk  again,  who  had 
given  his  name  as  Pop-hung,  and  he  smiled 
broadly. 

Mr.  Vance  returned  the  smile.  The  sug- 
gestion was  simply  preposterous,  since  the 
owner  of  the  junk  was  a man  of  somewhat  in- 
significant build  and  of  rather  a mild  cast  of 
countenance. 

“ I would  like  to  take  a close  look  at  him,,, 
persisted  Pop-hung. 

“ There  is  nothing  you  could  do,”  replied 
Mr.  Vance.  “ Our  physician  is  with  him.” 

But  this  did  not  seem  to  be  the  reason  of 
Pop-hung’s  desire  to  have  a closer  inspection 
of  Myo.  Evidently  curiosity,  and  that  alone, 
actuated  him.  Although  Mr.  Vance  gave  him 
no  encouragement  to  come  aboard,  he  persisted 
in  doing  so,  and  never  paused  until  he  stood 
close  to  Myo  and  had  a full  view  of  his  face. 

His  own  face  changed  suddenly.  There  was 
evil  in  it  now,  and  he  began  to  mutter  and 
gesticulate  in  a manner  that  caused  Myo’s  eyes 
to  open  suddenly.  It  was  strange  how  quickly 
they  did  open.  Perhaps  Myo  had  not  been  in 


84  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


so  deep  a faint  after  all,  or  else  Dr.  Griffin’s 
remedies  had  speedily  done  their  work.  At 
any  rate,  Myo  was  now  observant. 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  ; then 
Myo’s  gaze  fell  and  he  closed  his  eyes  again. 
Pop-hung,  as  if  satisfied,  turned  and  went 
away,  but  not  until  he  had  asked  several  ques- 
tions of  the  polemen.  He  also  addressed  two 
or  three  inquiries  in  a suave  way  to  Wilbur 
and  Arthur,  who  out  of  curiosity  had  gone 
aboard  the  junk,  and  met  Pop-hung  as  they 
were  hastening  to  their  own  boat. 

“ I had  no  business  to  tell  him  we  were 
going  to  the  monastery,”  Arthur  said  as  soon 
as  they  were  on  board  of  the  sampan  again. 
“ I think  father  doesn’t  care  to  have  that  mat- 
ter mentioned,  and  I believe  not  even  our 
polemen  as  yet  have  an  idea  as  to  our  final 
destination.  It  slipped  out  to  that  man  before 
I thought.  What  an  insinuating  way  he  has  ! 
I declare  I ought  to  have  a padlock  put  on 
my  mouth,  Wilbur ! ” at  which  assertion  Wil- 
bur only  laughed. 

He  had  heard  little  as  yet  about  the  mon- 
astery trip,  and  he  couldn’t  see  why  Arthur 
should  treat  the  matter  so  seriously. 


V 


CHAPTER  VI 


ARRESTED 

Myo-Sang  entirely  recovered  consciousness 
in  a half  hour’s  time,  and  seemed  physically 
as  well  as  ever.  But  the  shock,  if  it  had  been 
a shock  that  prostrated  him,  left  him  in  a 
dazed  condition.  His  head  seemed  to  be  in  a 
cloud,  “ his  mind  gone  wandering  over  the 
mountains,”  as  the  Koreans  express  it.  He 
would  sit  and  mutter  to  himself,  and  twice 
again  they  saw  him  looking  at  the  mysterious 
paper. 

“ I will  find  out  yet  what  it  is  ! ” declared 
Margaret. 

“ Curiosity  ! ” exclaimed  Arthur  signifi- 
cantly. 

All  right,  Art,”  was  the  good-natured  re- 
ply, “ you  can  call  it  curiosity,  if  you  want  to. 
All  the  same  I feel  impelled  to  find  out  what 
there  is  in  that  paper  that  is  affecting  Myo  so 
peculiarly.” 

“ You’ll  doubtless  be  none  the  wiser  if  you 
see  it,”  declared  Arthur.  “ It  will  probably 

85 


86  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


be  in  such  hieroglyphics  you  won’t  be  able  to 
make  a single  thing  out  of  it.” 

“ At  any  rate,  I am  going  to  try  it,”  pro- 
tested Margaret.  “ And  Arthur,  there  is  an- 
other thing  I am  determined  on  doing.  I am 
going  to  tell  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  all  we 
know  of  Myo  before  he  came  aboard  the 
sampan.” 

This  she  did,  but  each  of  the  gentlemen 
only  smiled  at  her  and  declared,  in  the  most 
tantalizing  manner,  that  Arthur  and  herself 
were  two  nervous  children  who  had  let  their 
imagination  run  away  with  their  wits. 
Nothing  that  they  had  seen  Myo  do  was  un- 
usual. It  was  true  that  he  did  possess  a 
goodly  amount  of  curiosity,  but  then  that  was 
a trait  very  prominently  connected  with  the 
Korean  race.  Each  admitted  that  he  had 
noted  the  peculiar  coloring  and  expression  of 
Myo’s  eyes,  but  that  ought  not  to  be  entered 
to  the  man’s  discredit.  They  had  found  him 
a clever,  obliging  man,  and  he  was  very  intel- 
ligent, with  a remarkably  good  knowledge  of 
English.  But  the  chief  consideration  was 
that  Myo  knew  well  that  portion  of  the  Han 
they  especially  desired  to  visit,  which  none  of 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  87 


the  other  polemen  did.  Yes,  it  was  quite  out 
of  the  question  to  part  from  Myo  unless  he 
really  was  guilty  of  such  conduct  as  would 
cause  them  to  lose  confidence  in  him. 

Margaret  reported  the  result  of  this  inter- 
view to  Arthur.  It  was  really  about  what 
they  had  expected. 

“ I dare  say  they  do  think  us  a pair  of 
suspicious  children,”  said  Margaret,  “ but, 
nevertheless,  I can’t  get  over  my  uneasy 
feeling  concerning  Myo,  especially  now  when 
he  is  acting  so  queerly,”  and  Arthur  agreed 
with  her. 

They  each  resolved  to  watch  the  poleman 
more  closely  than  ever,  “ for  who  knows  what 
may  depend  on  it  ? ” was  Margaret’s  comment. 

The  next  day  Kang  came  to  Dr.  Griffin  and 
Mr.  Vance  with  the  startling  information  that 
he  believed  Myo  was  going  crazy  ! 

“ He  talks  loudly  to  the  spirits,”  added 
Kang,  “ and  there  is  one  that  seems  to  hold 
him  fast.  It  is  struggling  with  his  mind,  and 
will  carry  it  away  if  something  is  not 
done.” 

“ Nonsense ! ” exclaimed  Dr.  Griffin  blithely. 
“ The  man  seems  to  have  a nervous  affection 


88  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


which  has  been  brought  on  quite  suddenly. 
It  may  be  only  some  business  trouble  that  is 
tormenting  him  for  the  time.  Relieve  him 
from  work  for  a day  or  so,  Kang.  Let  him 
have  entire  rest.  You  know  this  part  of  the 
Han  quite  well,  I believe,  and  I am  sure  we 
may  depend  on  you  forf  a safe  conducting  of 
the  sampan.” 

Kang  bowed  low  and  retired. 

The  rest  seemed  to  do  Myo  good,  though  he 
still  sat  in  an  abstracted  manner  in  the  stern 
or  along  the  narrow  decks  of  the  sampan,  at 
times  murmuring  to  himself  and  striking  his 
hand  upon  his  breast,  where,  as  Margaret  and 
Arthur  knew,  the  mysterious  paper  lay  con- 
cealed. The  only  thing  in  which  he  took  a 
lively  interest  was  the  sound  of  Margaret’s 
guitar. 

Almost  at  the  last  moment  Margaret  had 
made  up  her  mind  that  she  would  bring  the 
guitar,  and  whatever  Margaret  made  up  her 
mind  to  do  she  usually  did.  The  young  girl 
was  passionately  fond  of  music.  She  would 
miss  sorely  this  delightful  every-day  compan- 
ion if  it  were  left  at  home,  so  she  resolved  to 
bring  the  guitar,  even  at  some  physical  dis- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  89 

comfort.  “ It  may  give  pleasure,  too,  to  the 
others,”  Margaret  commented. 

“ What  in  the  world  are  you  going  to  do 
with  that  thing,  Meg  ? ” Arthur  asked  with  a 
broad  smile,  as  he  noted  the  nature  of  her 
burden. 

“ You  will  see  in  time,  Master  Arthur,”  she 
replied  gaily,  “ and,  in  the  end  you’ll  be  glad 
I brought  it.” 

Arthur  had  cause  to  remember  those  words, 
though  at  the  time  he  merely  bestowed  a 
deeper  smile  upon  Margaret  because  of  their 
extravagant  sound. 

Margaret  never  picked  up  the  guitar,  that 
Myo  did  not  leave  what  he  was  doing  to  come 
at  once  and  sit  and  gaze  upon  the  instrument, 
aroused  to  such  sweet  sounds  under  the  touch 
of  the  young  girl’s  deft  fingers.  At  such 
times  his  face  had  a rapt  expression.  It  was 
as  though  Myo  had  fallen  into  dreams,  and 
they  were  dreams  that  gave  his  face  an  intel- 
ligent, refined  expression  that  made  those 
marvel  who  saw  it. 

They  had  heard  much  of  the  beauty  and 
picturesqueness  of  the  Han,  but  despite  this 
were  not  prepared  for  the  exquisite  loveliness 


go  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

of  the  land  and  water  scenery  that  hour  after 
hour  was  unfolded  before  them.  During  the 
three  days’  journey  they  passed  through  two 
or  three  of  the  lake-like  stretches  of  which 
such  glowing  descriptions  had  been  given 
them.  Arthur  tried  to  secure  a picture  or  two 
to  carry  back  with  him,  but  the  light  was  too 
dim  for  a snap  shot,  and  the  sampan  could 
not  be  held  steady  enough  to  give  a secure 
setting  for  his  tripod.  He  was  chagrined  that 
he  had  to  give  it  up. 

“ Two  or  three  scenes  like  these,”  declared 
Wilbur  enthusiastically,  “ would  make  an 
artist’s  fortune,  provided  he  could  transfer 
them  to  canvas  with  any  degree  of  realism.” 

“ I know  one  young  artist  who  hoped  to  do 
that,  yes,  tried  to  do  it,”  remarked  Dr.  Griffin 
sadly  ; “ and  he  was  enthusiastic  enough  to 
believe  that  he  had  succeeded.  But  alas,  his 
work  never  came  before  any  appreciative  eyes 
save  his  own  ! For  all  I know  it  is  at  this 
moment  at  the  bottom  of  the  Han.  Poor 
Walter!  and  he  had  hoped  so  much  from  it!” 

There  was  an  unsteadiness  in  his  voice  as 
he  concluded,  and  each  of  his  hearers  felt  at 
heart  a responsive  thrill.  It  was  the  first 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  91 

time  the  young  people  had  heard  Dr.  Griffin 
mention  his  brother  since  they  had  started  on 
the  trip. 

At  the  close  of  that  third  day’s  journey 
Mr.  Vance  made  an  announcement  that  was 
hailed  with  joy  by  the  younger  members  of 
the  party. 

“ We’ll  tie  up  here,  not  only  through  the 
night,  but  we’ll  remain  to-morrow  and  the 
next  day  and  see  something  of  the  shore. 
We  need  to  lay  in  a supply  of  fowls,  for  one 
thing,  and  I wish,  besides,  to  ask  some  ques- 
tions of  the  people  concerning  a village 
further  on,  where  I desire  to  begin  efforts  in 
behalf  of  our  mission  venture.  Day  after 
to-morrow  being  the  Sabbath,  we’ll  hold 
services  here.” 

They  slept  soundly  that  night,  though 
Chefoo,  one  of  the  polemen,  had  somewhat 
shaken  their  nerves  by  the  information  that 
not  long  before  the  place  had  been  visited  by 
tigers.  There  was  one  village  just  below,  he 
added,  where  the  people  had  had  to  move 
away  because  of  the  frequency  with  which 
tigers  had  carried  off  the  inhabitants. 

“ As  for  that,”  exclaimed  Arthur,  “ I have 


92  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

heard  some  of  the  missionaries  tell  of  a time 
only  a few  years  back  when  tigers  made  their 
way  over  the  walls  of  Seoul  itself. ” 

“ You  had  better  quit  talking  about  tigers,” 
observed  Wilbur,  “ or  our  girls  won’t  sleep  a 
wink  to-night  for  thinking  of  them.” 

“ Well,  perhaps  Sarah  won't,”  laughed  Ar- 
thur, “ but  I think  you  can’t  scare  Meg  with 
any  talk  about  tigers.  She  would  just  as  soon 
meet  one  as  not,  if  it  came  in  the  way  of  any- 
thing she  wanted  to  do.  No,  not  even  tigers 
would  turn  Meg  back.” 

“ Well,  I think  they  would,  Arthur,” 
confessed  Margaret  honestly.  “ I wouldn’t 
fancy  meeting  a man-eater  under  any  circum- 
stances.” 

“ Arthur  has  a high  opinion  of  your  cour- 
age,” smiled  Sarah. 

“ Oh,  you  don’t  know  what  it  is  till  you’ve 
seen  it  tried  ! ” declared  Arthur  enthusiastic- 
ally. “ I’ve  always  asserted  that  Meg  is 
quite  too  fine  a fellow  to  be  a girl  ! ” at  which 
bold  assertion  both  Margaret  and  Sarah  ran 
after  him,  pelting  him  with  twigs,  gravel,  and 
such  light  missiles  as  were  at  hand. 

They  saw  no  tigers  at  this  village,  though 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  93 

they  did  have  a view  of  the  tiger  hunters, 
who  obligingly  donned  their  uniforms  and 
marched  down  to  where  the  sampan  was 
moored,  for  the  purpose  of  filling  the  specta- 
tors with  admiration.  They  did  present  a 
smart  appearance  in  their  blue  uniforms, 
conical  shaped  hats,  and  equipment  of  long- 
barreled  match-lock  guns. 

Though  the  tigers  did  not  annoy  them,  the 
people  did.  They  began  flocking  down  to 
the  sampan  at  daylight.  By  the  time  the 
young  girls  awakened  the  shore  was  crowded 
with  men,  women  and  children,  for  the 
women  here,  it  seemed,  were  used  to  going 
abroad.  Very  few  of  them  had  their  faces 
covered. 

Every  act  of  the  little  sampan  party  was 
critically  noted.  The  girls  especially  had  had 
a hard  time  undergoing  inspection.  Sarah’s 
hair  had  called  forth  the  most  excited  display 
of  curiosity.  Men  and  women  alike  tried  to 
handle  it,  to  feel  its  texture,  to  satisfy  them- 
selves that  it  was  real.  It  was  of  a light 
golden  color,  inclined  to  curl,  and  it  stood 
about  her  forehead  in  little  fluffy  masses. 
For  comfort’s  sake  she  wore  it  on  this  trip 


94  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

woven  in  a thick  braid  which  hung  down 
her  back. 

“ They’ll  be  wanting  to  cut  it  off  next  to 
hang  on  the  ridge-pole,”  declared  Arthur, 
“ and  they’ll  try  to  get  a part  of  the  scalp 
too,  to  insure  better  luck,  see  if  they  don’t. 
Better  look  out,  Sarah,  or  you’ll  go  home 
shaven  as  bare  as  a Buddhist  priest.” 

“ O don’t  even  hint  at  such  things  ! ” cried 
Sarah.  “ You  are  real  wicked,  Arthur,  to  do 
so.” 

The  words  were  no  more  than  out,  when 
Sarah  gave  a sharp  little  scream.  Turning  in 
astonishment,  they  saw  that  one  woman,  im- 
pelled by  a curiosity  more  consuming  than 
that  of  the  others,  had  waded  out  into  the 
shallow  water,  and  reaching  over  the  side  of 
the  sampan,  was  now  fingering  the  braid  of 
hair  most  suggestively.  She  gave  it  a tighter 
pull,  and  Sarah  screamed  again. 

“ Be  as  still  as  you  can,  dear,”  pleaded 
Margaret. 

She  threw  one  arm  about  Sarah  as  she 
spoke,  in  the  effort  to  quiet  her,  but  Sarah 
was  wriggling  in  such  a manner,  trying  to 
pull  away  from  the  woman,  that  her  efforts 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  95 

only  added  to  her  discomfort.  The  more 
Sarah  tried  to  pull  away,  the  more  de- 
termined became  the  woman’s  hold. 

“ Do  let  go,”  Margaret  begged  of  the 
woman.  “ You  are  hurting  her  very  much. 
If  you  will  only  release  your  hold,  she  will 
show  you  her  hair  herself.  Perhaps  she  will 
even  unbraid  it  for  you.” 

“ O no,  I won’t ! ” cried  Sarah,  “ for  then 
she  may  try  to  do  what  Arthur  suggested,  cut 
it  off,  and  a part  of  my  scalp  with  it.” 

Sarah  was  in  something  of  a panic  now, 
and  her  cries  were  renewed,  despite  Margaret’s 
reassuring  voice  and  Arthur’s  words  of  en- 
couragement. 

“ Do  hold  out  a moment  or  two  longer, 
Sarah,  and  I’ll  make  her  let  go,”  he  said. 

Others  were  attracted  now  to  the  scene. 
Wilbur  and  Stephen,  who  were  in  another 
part  of  the  boat,  heard  Sarah’s  cries  and  has- 
tened in  the  direction  whence  they  came.  So, 
too,  did  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  and  two  of 
the  polemen.  The  latter,  however,  ran  only 
a part  of  the  way,  then  stood  gaping  with  as- 
tonishment. 

The  cries  of  Sarah  and  the  commotion  had  a 


g6  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

strange  effect  upon  the  woman.  Instead  of 
causing  her  to  let  go,  they  seemed  to  deprive 
her  of  what  little  common  sense  she  possessed. 
She  stood  as  one  transfixed,  her  eyes  bulged, 
her  jaws  dropped,  and  clinging  to  the  braid 
for  dear  life. 

Suddenly  Sarah  twisted  away  from  Marga- 
ret. A pan  of  water  was  near  by  in  which 
Min  had  cleaned  the  fish  served  for  breakfast. 
With  a frantic  clutch  Sarah  seized  it,  and 
with  little  time  to  calculate  the  position  of  her 
target,  pitched  the  contents  over  her  head  full 
into  the  woman’s  face,  partly  drenching 
Margaret  and  herself  as  she  did  so. 

With  a gasp  of  astonishment  the  woman  re- 
leased her  hold,  and  went  tumbling  back- 
wards into  the  stream,  kicking  and  splashing 
like  a great  fish.  A moment  later  she  arose 
therefrom  still  gasping  and  sputtering,  and 
with  a little  shriek  turned  and  sped  toward 
the  bank.  It  would  have  been  hard  to  tell 
which  had  been  given  the  greater  surprise, 
she  or  Sarah. 

They  spent  that  day  and  the  next  one  pleas- 
antly at  the  village,  despite  this  and  other 
trying  incidents  that  befell  them  through 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  97 

curiosity.  They  went  ashore,  and  the  people 
were  gathered  for  the  services  under  two  wide- 
spreading  walnuts.  They  listened  attentively, 
though  every  now  and  then  they  would  in- 
terrupt the  speaker  with  a fire  of  questions. 

Late  that  evening  Myo  asked  Mr.  Vance, 

“ Have  you  paid  your  respects,  Honorable 
Sir,  to  the  magistrate  of  the  village  ? ” 

“ No,”  replied  Mr.  Vance,  “ I did  not  deem 
that  necessary.  If  there  is  anything  about 
which  the  magistrate  desires  to  see  us,  he 
would  no  doubt  have  communicated  with 
us.” 

“ There  you  have  made  a mistake,  I fear, 
Honorable  Sir,  since  no  magistrate  would  pur- 
sue this  course.  ’Tis  you  who  should  have 
sought  him.  The  magistrates  greatly  value 
their  authority.  They  expect  due  deference 
to  be  paid  to  their  station.  Yes,  most  truly 
do  I believe,  master,  that  you  have  made  a 
grievous  mistake  not  to  call  upon  the  magis- 
trate.” 

“ What  is  that  old  crow  croaking  about  ? ” 
Arthur  asked  of  Wilbur.  He  had  not  been 
near  enough  to  catch  clearly  Myo’s  words. 

“ He  is  telling  uncle  that  he  ought  to  have 


98  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

called  upon  the  magistrate  of  the  village  be- 
fore doing  anything  else.” 

“ Oh,  stuff ! I would  as  soon  as  not  believe 
that  the  magistrate  in  this  case  is  a relative 
of  Myo,  or  what  is  more  likely,  our  chief  pole- 
man  is  paid  a fee  to  magnify  the  magistrate’s 
greatness  in  the  eyes  of  the  traveling  public.” 
“ He  seems  very  serious  about  it,”  observed 
Wilbur. 

A few  hours  later  they  had  cause  to  dis- 
cover what  a very  good  reason  indeed  Myo  had 
to  be  serious  with  reference  to  the  matter. 

The  next  morning  as  they  were  preparing 
for  a start  up  the  river  a company  of  yangban 
soldiery  quietly  stepped  forward  from  among 
the  crowd  gathered  on  the  river  bank  and  in- 
formed Mr.  Vance  that  the  sampan  could  not 
be  moved  that  day.  It  must  stay  where  it 
was  until  permission  was  given  to  move  it. 
Furthermore,  the  soldiers  had  orders  to  bring 
without  delay  the  sampan  party,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  its  native  members,  before  the  mag- 
istrate. It  was  their  master’s  command  and 
could  not  be  disobeyed. 

In  vain  were  questions.  What  had  they 
done?  What  misdemeanor  had  they  com- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  99 

mitted  ? The  mouth  of  the  commander  of 
the  squad  was  as  close  as  that  of  an  oyster. 
All  the  information  they  could  get  out  of  him 
went  no  further  than  his  first  communication. 
They  were  under  arrest  and  must  follow  him 
to  the  magistrate’s  ! At  Mr.  Vance’s  repeated 
request  it  was  finally  agreed  that  Myo  could 
accompany  them. 

“ I fear  we  shall  not  be  able  to  make  our- 
selves clearly  understood  by  the  magistrate 
without  Myo’s  assistance,”  Mr.  Vance  re- 
marked to  Dr.  Griffin. 

When,  however,  the  matter  was  broached  to 
Myo,  he  declared  with  a doleful  face  that  he 
was  quite  too  ill  to  venture  on  the  trip  to  the 
magistrate’s,  so  they  had  to  fall  back  on 
Kang. 

“ I really  am  glad  it  fell  to  Kang’s  lot  to 
go  with  us,”  declared  Arthur.  “ I,  for  one, 
don’t  trust  that  old  fox,  Myo.” 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  RACE  FOR  THE  KWAN-JA 

All  the  members  of  the  party  were  filled 
with  grave  apprehension  concerning  the  turn 
affairs  had  now  taken.  What  could  the  mag- 
istrate be  going  to  do  ? Of  what  serious 
charge  were  they  to  be  accused  ? And  if  ac- 
cused, would  it  not  amount  to  a sentence  of 
some  kind  ? Margaret  and  Arthur  knew  full 
well  that  the  Korean  laws  were  a jumble  of 
absurdities  and  of  flagrant  violations  of  jus- 
tice. The  magistrates,  especially  those  in  the 
remote  country  districts,  did  very  much  as 
they  pleased.  Each  was  a law  unto  himself, 
and  dispensed  the  affairs  of  his  court  ac- 
cordingly. 

However,  they  tried  to  be  cheerful,  and 
even  to  joke  with  each  other  concerning  the 
situation. 

“ Perhaps  he  will  order  us  chopped  up  as 
food  for  the  gods/7  observed  Arthur. 

IOO 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  101 

“ As  if  he  would  think  us  good  enough  for 
that ! ” laughed  Margaret. 

Sarah  tried  to  join  in  the  laugh,  but  it  was 
a feeble  effort.  The  truth  was,  Sarah  was  in- 
wardly quaking. 

“ No  doubt  I am  the  one,”  she  said  with 
unsteady  voice,  “ who  has  brought  all  the 
trouble.  I ought  not  to  have  been  so  hasty 
in  flinging  the  water  over  that  woman,  but  I 
didn’t  know  what  else  to  do.  Now  that 
woman  has  gone  to  the  magistrate  with  her 
complaints,  I am  sure,  and  there’s  no  telling 
what  he  will  do  to  all  of  us  just  to  satisfy 
her.” 

Arthur  gave  her  an  encouraging  smile. 

“ Never  you  fear,”  he  said  with  assurance. 
“ Very  few,  if  any,  Korean  magistrates  ever 
bother  themselves  with  complaints  of  women, 
unless  it  be  one  of  their  own  connection.  So, 
come  along,  Sarah,  and  do  not  look  as  though 
your  very  last  day  of  life  had  arrived.  He 
won’t  kill  us,  rest  assured  of  that ; for  he  dare 
not.  Neither  will  he  put  us  in  prison,  for  he 
will  be  afraid  to  do  that,  too.” 

“ Don’t  be  so  sure  of  that,  Arthur.” 

It  was  his  father’s  voice  that  spoke,  and 


102  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Arthur  could  see  from  the  expression  of  his 
face  that  he  held  far  from  a light  opinion  as 
to  the  outcome  of  this  summons  before  the 
magistrate. 

“ We  have  heard  before,  my  son,  of  severe 
sentence  being  imposed  for  the  most  trivial 
offenses,”  continued  Mr.  Vance,  “ many  of  the 
offenders  having  acted  innocently.  Some 
of  these  magistrates  in  the  interior  towns  still 
cling  to  their  bitter  hatred  of  foreigners,  and 
it  is  their  delight  to  oppress  and  humiliate 
them,  whenever  occasion  offers.” 

“ They  think  nothing  of  imposing  fines  of  a 
hundred  yen  and  from  one  to  two  months’ 
imprisonment,”  remarked  Dr.  Griffin,  “ for 
no  other  reason  than  to  wreak  their  revenge.” 

“ Revenge  for  what,  sir?”  asked  Wilbur. 

“ Revenge  upon  the  foreigners  for  daring 
to  invade  their  country — Korea — 1 the  chosen 
spot  of  the  earth  for  the  chosen  people,’  Korea 
the  secluded,  ‘ the  pearl  of  the  earth.’  They 
gave  no  sanction  to  the  King’s  treaty  with 
the  nations.  To  them  it  is  a contract  made 
to  be  repudiated.” 

“ This  is  dreadful ! ” exclaimed  Sarah,  who 
was  listening  attentively  to  every  word. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  103 

“ What  a terrible  ending  our  beautiful  trip 
may  have ! ” 

“ Let  us  keep  up  a brave  heart,”  urged 
Margaret.  “ The  people  are  kind.  They 
have  shown  a friendly  interest  in  us,  and  yes- 
terday many  of  them  listened  attentively  to 
the  words  my  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  spoke  to 
them.  See  how  they  are  following  us  now ! 
and  evidently  with  sympathy.  Sometimes 
the  people,”  added  Margaret  in  a whisper  to 
Sarah,  “ rise  in  opposition  to  a magistrate’s 
will.  Even  with  his  soldiers  he  could  do 
nothing  against  the  mass  of  the  people.” 

As  they  marched  up  the  street,  escorted  by 
the  squad  of  soldiers,  they  presented  more  the 
appearance  of  a party  being  conducted  in 
state  to  some  function  of  honor  than  a band 
of  culprits  on  their  way  to  the  magistrate  for 
trial.  The  soldiers  had  on  spic-and-span  uni- 
forms. No  doubt  the  wily  magistrate  had 
preserved  them  for  just  such  an  occasion. 
Their  hats  were  bound  around  many  times 
with  red.  Their  shining  blue  trousers  were 
extraordinarily  voluminous ; so,  too,  were 
their  blouses  of  white  slashed  with  blue. 
Their  muskets  had  been  newly  polished,  and 


104  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

each  was  carried  in  a fashion  to  suit  its 
bearer. 

They  arrived  at  the  yamen  (home  of  the 
magistrate)  to  find  that  worthy  was  yet  em- 
ployed in  discussing  his  morning  meal.  He 
sent  them  a cool  message  to  the  effect  that 
they  were  to  wait  in  the  outer  enclosure  until 
he  condescended  to  receive  them.  Though 
they  chafed  exceedingly,  both  at  the  imperti- 
nence and  the  delay,  yet  they  found  much 
with  which  to  occupy  themselves  during  the 
interval  of  waiting.  The  grounds  were  ex- 
tensive and  stood  on  a bluff  overlooking  the 
river.  There  were  runners  idling  about  in 
blue  coats,  wide  trousers,  padded  stockings 
and  bowl-shaped  hats,  ornamented  with  red 
tassels.  There  were  other  people,  too,  await- 
ing the  magistrate’s  pleasure,  and  through 
the  openings  in  the  stretch  of  bamboo  palings 
at  one  side,  our  party  from  the  sampan  saw 
numerous  women  and  children  peering  at 
them  in  great  curiosity. 

After  an  hour  or  more  the  magistrate  sent 
word  that  he  was  ready  to  receive  them.  They 
passed  through  many  small  rooms,  in  which 
men  were  squatting  on  the  floor,  pretending 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  105 

to  be  very  busy  with  certain  writing  materials, 
but  in  reality  scarcely  making  a stroke  with 
pen,  but  passing  the  hours  in  smoking  in- 
stead. They  served  the  magistrate’s  purpose, 
however,  of  presenting  a great  show  to  the 
people  of  the  amount  of  work  the  magistrate 
had  on  hand. 

They  found  Mr.  Chul-sa,  the  magistrate, 
sitting  on  a small,  slightly  raised  platform, 
his  legs  crossed  under  him.  He  was  smoking 
a pipe  with  a long  stem,  the  bowl  of  which 
rested  upon  the  floor. 

He  eyed  them  a moment  curiously,  one  by 
one,  his  gaze  resting  longest  upon  the  faces  of 
the  two  girls,  whose  fresh,  clear  complexions, 
blue  eyes,  and  masses  of  fluffy  hair  seemed  to 
overcome  him  with  astonishment.  But  Mar- 
garet and  Sarah  did  not  see  the  astonishment 
in  his  face.  To  them  it  was  a dreadful  frown 
and  it  meant  trouble  for  them  all. 

The  magistrate  could  speak  but  little  Eng- 
lish, yet,  strange  inconsistency ! he  seemed 
extraordinarily  proud  of  that  little.  He  had 
his  interpreter  at  hand,  and  there,  too,  was  Kang. 

He  waited  many  moments  as  though  to 
impress  them  by  his  appearance,  eyeing  first 


106  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

one  and  then  the  other,  and  making  remarks 
concerning  them  to  his  attendants.  He  was 
magnificently  arrayed  in  a pink  silk  gown, 
and  on  his  head  rested  a little  shining  black 
cap  of  horsehair.  When  he  felt  they  had  had 
time  to  be  duly  impressed  both  by  himself 
and  his  attire,  he  singled  Mr.  Vance  out  as 
spokesman  and  motioned  him  to  approach. 

“ O poor  father  ! what  can  he  be  going  to 
do  to  him?”  whispered  Margaret  to  Arthur, 
but  she  need  not  have  had  any  fear.  The 
magistrate  was  simply  on  the  point  of  reliev- 
ing his  curiosity,  which  by  this  time  was 
thoroughly  consuming  him. 

“ Are  you  a married  man  ? ” asked  Mr. 
Chul-sa. 

“ Yes,”  replied  Mr.  Vance  promptly. 

“ How  old  is  your  wife?  ” 

“ She  is  thirty-nine.” 

“ Has  she  good  sense  ? ” 

“ I have  always  found  that  she  has.” 

“ How  old  are  you  ? ” 

“ I am  forty-three.” 

“ Is  your  father  dead  ? ” 

14  Yes.” 

“ Was  he  an  honorable  man  ? ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  107 

“ Every  one  who  knew  him  so  declared.” 

“ Have  you  ever  stolen  at  any  time  of  your 
life?” 

“ No  ; never  ! ” 

“ Are  you  speaking  the  truth  ? ” 

“ Most  assuredly  I am.” 

“ Have  you  been  in  prison  ? ” 

“ I have  not.” 

“ Have  you  a family  ? ” 

“ I have.” 

“ How  large  is  it?” 

“ There  are  three  of  my  children,”  pointing 
to  Arthur,  Margaret  and  Stephen,  “ one  other, 
who  is  much  smaller,  is  at  home.” 

Mr.  Chul-sa  made  a point  of  eyeing  each 
in  turn  very  impertinently  and  for  some  little 
time. 

“ Well,  all  that  I have  to  say  is  that  your 
children  are  like  yourself,  horrid  looking 
creatures ! ” 

“ Just  hear  him  ! ” exclaimed  Margaret  in- 
dignantly. “ Wouldn’t  I like  to  pull  the  old 
wretch’s  ears ! ” 

“ He  deserves  it,  I am  sure,”  agreed  Arthur. 
“ The  idea  of  being  so  blind  to  our  good 
looks ! ” 


io8  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Mr.  Chul-sa,  having  taken  a rest  at  his 
catechizing,  went  on  again. 

“ Where  do  you  reside?  ” 

“ In  Seoul,  the  capital  of  your  country.” 

“ What  business  has  such  a creature  as  you 
in  Seoul,  the  capital  of  my  country  ? ” 

“ I came  as  a messenger  from  One  who  sent 
me  with  words  of  love  and  good  will  to  your 
people.” 

“ You  foreigners  are  always  meddling  with 
our  affairs,”  complained  Mr.  Chul-sa.  “Why 
don’t  you  let  us  alone?  Now  see  here,  since 
you  have  meddled  so  in  the  business  of  other 
people,  tell  me  if  you  are  careful  enough  your- 
self to  appease  the  spirits  of  your  father  and 
mother  by  making  worship  to  them  ? ” 

Mr.  Vance  replied  that  he  did  not;  that 
such  was  not  in  accord  with  the  customs  of 
his  people. 

“ Do  not  make  worship  to  the  spirits  of 
your  father  and  mother?  Miserable  creature  ! 
If  you  do  not  take  heed  the  demons  will 
destroy  you  from  the  face  of  the  earth.” 

At  this  Sarah  sniggered ; more  of  a hys- 
terical act  on  her  part,  than  aught  else,  since 
she  was  feeling  any  other  way  than  at  ease. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  109 

The  magistrate  turned  quickly  in  her  direc- 
tion, remarking  severely  that  it  would  really 
be  a good  thing  if  the  demons  would  destroy 
every  foreign  man  and  woman  who  dared  to 
set  foot  in  the  chosen  country  of  the  chosen 
people.  As  for  himself  he  had  never  been  in 
favor  of  having  the  tablets  taken  down,  which 
stood  throughout  the  borders  of  the  country, 
and  which  declared  that  all  foreigners  were 
cutthroats  and  thieves,  and  should  be  killed 
on  sight.  These  sentences,  which  his  heat  of 
temper  had  compelled  him  to  speak  entirely 
in  his  own  language,  the  magistrate  insisted 
Kang  should  translate  word  for  word,  not  only 
once,  but  twice,  and  poor  Sarah  almost 
dropped  with  fear  lest  her  hysterical  outburst 
of  amusement  had  cost  them  dear. 

“ What  is  the  name,  anyhow,  of  that  coun- 
try of  yours?  ” he  finally  asked  Mr.  Vance 

“ The  United  States  of  America,”  was  the 
quiet  answer. 

The  magistrate  turned  with  a contemptuous 
curl  of  the  lip  to  a young  man  standing  near, 
who  afterward  proved  to  be  his  son. 

“ Do  you  know  whereabouts  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Korea  such  a country  is  ? ” 


no  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


The  young  man  declared  he  did  not,  but 
thought  it  must  be  somewhere  over  the 
mountains. 

Turning  to  Mr.  Vance  again  the  magistrate 
demanded  the  name  of  the  town  to  which 
they  were  ultimately  bound. 

Mr.  Vance  gave  it. 

“ Very  well  then,”  replied  Mr.  Chul-sa, 
“ before  you  proceed  any  further,  I will  have 
a look  at  your  kwan-ja.”1 

Mr.  Vance  started.  He  hadn't  the  kwan-ja 
with  him.  At  that  very  moment  it  lay  safely 
locked  within  the  little  desk  in  his  cabin 
aboard  the  sampan.  In  the  haste  with  which 
they  had  been  arrested  and  hustled  off  to  the 
magistrate,  he  had  forgotten  the  kwan-ja. 
Yet  it  was  a most  important  thing,  the  very 
thing,  in  fact,  he  ought  to  have  remem- 
bered. 

“ Your  honor,”  he  said  quite  humbly,  “ I 
have  forgotten  the  kwan-ja.  But  it  is  aboard 
the  sampan,  and  with  your  permission  I will 
go  and  bring  it.” 

“ You  will  do  no  such  thing,”  declared  the 
magistrate,  “ you  will  remain  here.” 

1 Passport. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


in 


“ Then  I’ll  go  and  fetch  it,”  spoke  Dr. 
Griffin  quickly. 

Again  the  magistrate  frowned  and  his  little 
beady  eyes  had  a wicked  leer. 

“ You,  too,  will  stay  here,”  he  declared. 

Wilbur,  Arthur  and  Stephen  in  turn  volun- 
teered to  be  the  messenger,  but  the  magistrate 
squelched  each  with  a look  and  the  positive 
declaration  that  not  one  of  them  should  stir 
from  the  court  room.  At  the  same  time  he 
kept  asserting  that  the  passport  was  necessary, 
that  their  examination,  in  fact,  could  not  pro- 
ceed without  it.  Yet  he  would  give  not  a 
single  one  of  them  permission  to  go  and 
get  it. 

“ He  has  some  object  in  detaining  us,”  whis- 
pered Arthur  to  Wilbur.  “ What  the  object 
is,  he  alone  knows.  It  may  be,  after  all,  only 
spitefulness  and  the  desire  to  put  us  to  all  the 
inconvenience  he  can.  But  whatever  it  is,  he 
is  prepared  to  carry  matters  with  a high  hand, 
I fear.” 

Here  was  indeed  a pretty  pickle ! How 
were  they  to  get  out  of  it? 

The  little  room  in  which  they  stood  was 
about  twelve  feet  square.  The  walls  were 


112  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


formed  of  bamboo  work,  hung  with  screens 
of  paper.  The  outer  texture  of  the  walls  was 
of  stucco.  There  was  one  door  leading  into 
the  apartment  through  which  they  had  passed 
to  reach  the  magistrate,  an  apartment  where 
five  or  six  clerks  sat  pretending  to  write. 
These  had  now  crowded  up  about  this  door, 
and  were  listening  to  the  proceedings  with  the 
most  acute  curiosity.  Another  door,  just  back 
of  where  the  magistrate  sat,  no  doubt  led  into 
his  private  apartments.  There  were  two  win- 
dows protected  by  screens  of  bamboo  which 
could  be  slid  back  and  forth  at  will.  As  the 
morning  was  warm  they  were  pushed  back, 
leaving  exposed,  in  each  case,  an  opening  of 
about  two  and  a half  feet  wide  by  three  in 
depth. 

During  this  last  excited  conversation  con- 
cerning the  kwan-ja,  Margaret  had  edged 
gradually  nearer  her  father.  She  was  now  al- 
most opposite  one  of  the  window  openings 
and  no  more  than  three  feet  from  it. 

“ Father,”  whispered  Margaret,  as  the  mag- 
istrate was  deep  in  the  midst  of  a heated  dis- 
sertation with  reference  to  the  impudence  of 
foreigners  in  general  and  of  this  party  of  them 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  113 

in  particular,  “ father,  do  give  me  the  little 
key  of  your  desk  in  the  sampan. ” 

“ What  do  you  want  with  it,  Margaret?” 
he  asked  in  surprise. 

“ 0 don’t  ask  me,  father,  only  trust  me, 
and  do  be  quick  about  it,  please.  There,  the 
magistrate  is  going  to  turn  this  way  again ! 
O hurry,  father,  do  hurry  and  give  me  the 
key,  there’s  a dear.” 

Almost  mechanically  he  obeyed,  though  he 
had  no  more  than  given  her  the  key  than, 
divining  her  intent,  he  essayed  to  stop  her. 
But  Margaret  was  too  quick  for  him  or  for 
any  one  else  within  the  room  who  sought  to 
lay  a detaining  hand  upon  her. 

Measuring  her  distance,  she  quickly  sprang 
through  the  window,  so  startling  a small 
group  of  idlers  gathered  without  that  they 
scattered  to  right  and  left  with  sharp  excla- 
mations, believing  some  spirit  had  suddenly 
appeared. 

Margaret  fell  upon  her  knees,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  partly  breaking  the  force  of  the 
fall  by  means  of  her  hands.  The  earth  was 
soft,  and  she  was  not  bruised  at  all.  Quickly 
leaping  up,  she  sprang  away,  and  began  the 


114  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

race  for  the  gates,  the  direction  of  which  she  had 
kept  well  in  her  mind.  No  sooner,  however, 
had  she  begun  to  run  with  full  speed  toward 
the  entrance,  than  three  men  of  the  group  she 
had  scattered,  realizing  that  she  was  flesh  and 
blood,  and,  moreover,  that  she  was  one  of  the 
foreigners,  started  in  pursuit. 

A man,  in  earnest  conversation  with  a 
woman  near  a small  pagoda  in  the  grounds, 
started  forward  to  arrest  her  flight.  No 
sooner,  however,  had  he  recognized  her,  than 
he  stepped  back  with  an  exclamation  of  dis- 
may. The  man  was  Myo,  and  the  woman  to 
whom  he  had  been  talking  was  the  very  one 
over  whom  Sarah  had  thrown  the  water  the 
day  before.  Though  she  had  but  a hasty 
glimpse  of  her  as  she  passed,  yet  Margaret 
was  sure  of  this. 

“ The  old  villain ! ” she  said  to  herself. 
“ What  wickedness  can  he  be  up  to  now? 
And  to  think  how  he  deceived  us  about  being 
too  sick  to  come  to  the  magistrate’s  with  us  ! ” 

There  was  now  a great  hue  and  cry  about 
the  gates  as  Margaret’s  intent  to  escape  from 
the  grounds  became  apparent.  All  the  men 
in  the  grounds,  save  the  three  who  had  started 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  115 


late  in  pursuit  from  the  magistrate’s  window, 
had  congregated  at  the  gates,  as  though  it 
would  take  the  combined  force  of  them  all  to 
stop  this  one  fleeing  girl. 

But  Margaret  did  not  intend  to  pass  out 
through  the  gates.  As  they  had  entered  the 
grounds  of  the  magistrate,  she  had  noticed  a 
break  in  the  wall  some  twenty-five  or  thirty 
paces  from  the  gateway,  and  in  the  direction 
of  the  path  leading  along  the  river  toward  the 
sampan.  It  had  been  torn  apart  for  the  pur- 
pose of  repairs,  but,  as  is  usual  in  Korea,  the 
laborers  were  working  at  it  spasmodically, 
only  as  they  felt  like  it. 

On  ran  Margaret  apparently  toward  the 
gates.  But  suddenly  she  swerved  from  her 
course,  turning  directly  toward  the  break  in 
the  wall.  The  men  were  so  sure  she  was 
coming  toward  the  gates  that  they  simply 
stood  and  waited  for  her  there.  Not  one  of 
them  gave  a thought  to  the  break  in  the  wall. 

When  they  did  look  up,  Margaret  was  al- 
most through  the  aperture.  Four  of  the  men 
threw  down  their  pipes  and  with  harsh  cries 
darted  through  the  gates  and  down  the  road 
after  the  fleeing  girl.  But  they  were  too  late. 


n6  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Rendered  heavy  and  slothful  through  indo- 
lence and  gluttony,  they  would  never  over- 
take swift-footed  Margaret,  lithe  of  limb  and 
with  the  pure  blood  of  splendid  health  cours- 
ing through  every  vein. 

There  were  still  the  people  of  the  village  to 
encounter,  yet  she  soon  discovered  she  had 
naught  to  fear  from  these.  As  the  gluttons 
from  the  magistrate’s  yamen  quickly  gave  up 
the  chase,  Margaret’s  race  through  the  village 
had  no  further  effect  on  the  villagers  than  to 
cause  them  to  congregate  along  the  roadway 
and  to  stare  at  her,  their  eyes  distended,  their 
jaws  dropped  in  astonishment. 

On  sped  Margaret  and  never  slackened  pace 
till  she  dropped  exhausted  upon  the  deck  of 
the  sampan.  She  had  just  breath  enough  left 
to  tell  the  nature  of  her  errand  to  Chefoo, 
who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  boat  and 
its  effects. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


PERSISTENCY  REWARDED 

Armed  with  the  precious  kwan-ja  Margaret 
set  out  on  her  return  to  the  magistrates.  She 
walked  now,  although  her  heart  was  beating 
fast  with  the  desire  to  know  how  fared  it  with 
those  she  had  left  behind.  Another  thought, 
too,  gave  her  some  uneasiness.  What  punish- 
ment would  the  magistrate  mete  out  to  her, 
yes,  to  them  all,  because  of  her  direct  disre- 
gard of  his  order  to  remain  in  the  apartment  ? 

A number  of  the  people  had  followed  her  to 
the  sampan  out  of  curiosity,  and  they  were 
now  walking  along  with  her  as  she  returned. 
They  made  no  movement,  however,  to  molest 
her,  though  they  did  ask  queer  questions  of 
each  other  concerning  her.  A few  of  them 
touched  her  clothing,  and  one  or  two  handled 
her  hair,  but  there  was  no  effort  to  harm 
her. 

Half-way  to  the  yamen  she  was  suddenly 
seized  by  two  of  the  magistrate’s  runners,  who 

117 


n8  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


looked  very  important  over  the  fact  of  having 
seized  her  at  last.  They  compelled  her  to 
start  off  in  a jog  trot  between  them  for  the 
magistrate’s.  As  they  went  along  they 
shouted,  yelled,  and  in  other  ways  made  a 
terrible  noise ; warning  the  people  to  keep 
out  of  the  path  of  such  a dangerous  person. 
Despite  her  heavy  heart,  Margaret  had  to 
smile  to  herself  again  and  again  over  the  ter- 
rible picture  given  of  her  ferocious  qualities. 
They  slackened  their  pace  as  the  gates  were 
reached  and  went  slowly  and  in  great  state 
up  to  the  door.  Thus  Margaret  had  some 
breath  left  to  reply  to  the  avalanche  of  ques- 
tions hurled  upon  her  so  soon  as  she  returned 
to  the  apartment. 

“ Oh,  Meg,  how  did  you  ever  get  out  of 
that  window?  ” asked  Sarah.  “ I nearly  had 
a fit  for  fear  you  had  fallen  on  your  head  and 
half  killed  yourself.  And  such  a stir  as  you 
made  ! Are  you  sure  you  are  all  right?  ” 

“ I am  all  right,”  smiled  Margaret,  and 
gave  her  a hug. 

“ You  splendid  girl ! ” exclaimed  Arthur. 
“ Who  would  have  thought  of  that  but  you? 
And  did  you  get  the  kwan-ja  ? ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  119 

For  answer  she  held  it  up  with  a little 
triumphant  flourish. 

“ I declare,  Margaret,  you  are  worth  a whole 
regiment,”  declared  Wilbur.  “ The  idea  of  a 
girl’s  thinking  to  do  such  as  that  and  we,  two 
trifling  fellows,  standing  around  like  a pair  of 
silly-billies.” 

“ O that  was  because  you  weren’t  near  the 
window,”  replied  Margaret,  a twinkle  in  her 
eyes.  “ That  gave  the  inspiration,  you  see, 
Wilbur.” 

“ Your  act  was  a rash  one,  Margaret,”  her 
father  said,  but  there  was  no  harsh  chiding 
in  his  voice.  In  truth,  his  eyes  regarded  her 
with  pride,  and  there  was  a tenderness  unmis- 
takable in  his  voice. 

Meanwhile  the  magistrate  was  clamoring 
for  the  kwan-ja.  He  seemed  to  think  that 
they  hadn’t  it ; but  if  they  had,  that  it  didn’t 
amount  to  much.  He  was  contemplating  a 
harsh  sentence  for  Margaret.  He  was  thor- 
oughly provoked  with  her  for  defying  him  as 
she  had.  He  was  more  than  angry  with  his 
runners  for  permitting  this  slender  girl  to 
outdo  them.  But  when  he  saw  the  kwan-ja 
and  discovered  that  it  was  no  common  affair, 


120  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


but  had  the  king’s  own  seal  attached,  was  in 
fact  such  as  was  given  only  to  men  of  dis- 
tinction, Mr.  Chul-sa  at  once  changed  his 
tactics.  He  became  very  affable,  even  solici- 
tous, declaring  he  had  sent  for  them  only 
that  he  might  question  them  as  to  their  pro- 
posed route.  He  wished  to  give  them  such 
information  as  he  could  with  reference  to  the 
dangers  in  the  river,  which  he  now  proceeded 
to  do. 

Mr.  Chul-sa  now  not  only  pressed  food 
upon  them  of  a really  palatable  sor|,  loudly 
applauding  when  both  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr. 
Griffin  showed  how  deft  they  were  with  the 
chop-sticks,  but  he  loaded  them  down  with 
gifts  of  fruit,  rice,  eggs  and  honey.  Further- 
more, he  sent  them  back  to  the  sampan  in 
great  style,  heralded  by  two  drummers  and 
three  trumpeters,  who  almost  deafened  them 
with  their  unmusical  efforts. 

The  people  came  running  from  every  hut 
in  the  village.  The  number  of  idlers  had 
been  considerably  increased  by  the  coming  in 
of  the  workers  in  the  rice-fields  for  the  noon- 
day rest  and  meal.  They  gathered  so  thickly 
along  the  road-way  that  the  runners  had  sev- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


121 


eral  times  to  stop  and  literally  fight  for  a pas- 
sage. Even  after  the  sampan  was  reached, 
the  people  continued  to  line  the  banks,  an 
eager,  curious  crowd. 

“ It  is  humiliating  to  be  made  a show  of, 
especially  when  one  gets  nothing  out  of  it  I ” 
declared  Arthur. 

“ I think  I’ll  go  around  and  take  up  a col- 
lection,” laughed  Stephen,  “ we  surely  ought 
to  have  pay  of  some  kind.” 

It  was  now  well  past  noon.  They  ought  to 
have  been  started  up  the  river  hours  before, 
but  where  was  Myo?  Yes,  where  was  Myo- 
Sang?  Every  one  was  asking  this  question. 

“ I saw  Myo  in  the  magistrate’s  grounds 
when  I was  running  for  the  kwan-ja,”  said 
Margaret  slowly. 

“ Why,  Margaret  Vance  ! ” almost  whistled 
Arthur.  “ Aren’t  you  mistaken  about  that? 
He  said  he  was  sick  and  could  not  go  with 
us.” 

“ Yes,  I know  ; but  Myo  was  there  just  the 
same.  He  was  talking  to  a woman  in  the 
magistrate’s  grounds,  and  I almost  ran  over 
them.” 

“ Perhaps  you  were  mistaken,  Margaret,” 


122  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


said  Mr.  Vance  at  this  moment.  “ In  your 
haste  you  may  not  have  seen  clearly,  and  you 
probably  took  some  one  else  for  Myo.” 

“ No,  father,  I could  not  be  mistaken.  It 
was  Myo,  and  none  other.  I saw  him  quite 
plainly.  He  started  forward,  as  though  to 
stop  me,  and  when  he  recognized  me,  he 
stepped  back  in  great  surprise.” 

“ Well,  this  is  queer  ! ” said  Mr.  Vance.  “ I 
have  just  learned  that  Myo  left  a message  for 
us  with  Chefoo  to  the  effect  that  he  had  gone 
up  the  river  bank  a short  distance  to  get 
treatment  from  a friend  who  understands 
something  of  aches  and  pains,  and  that  he 
would  return  very  shortly.” 

“ He  is  an  old  rogue,  sir,”  declared  Arthur 
warmly,  “ and  you’ll  find  that  out  before  we 
go  much  further.” 

“ Be  careful,  Arthur,”  admonished  his  fa- 
ther, “ or  the  other  polemen  may  hear  you, 
especially  Kang.  We  cannot  afford  to  an- 
tagonize Myo,”  he  concluded  earnestly,  “at 
least,  not  at  this  time,  yes,  this  time  of  all 
others.  Very  shortly  now  we  shall  be  utterly 
dependent  upon  him  for  the  safe  navigation 
of  the  river.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  123 

“ But,  father,  it  seems  to  me  we  could 
easily  find  some  other  poleman  this  high  up 
the  river  who  would  know  about  the  rapids.” 
“ But  they  might  say  they  did,  Arthur, 
when  they  did  not.  The  Korean  nature  is  so 
tricky  ; it  would  be  dangerous  to  risk  our- 
selves in  the  hands  of  any  hastily  acquired 
poleman,  unless  we  knew  well  his  ability.” 

It  was  toward  late  afternoon  ere  Myo  ap- 
peared. He  came  limping  and  dejected  look- 
ing. He  had  fallen  and  hurt  his  knee  and  it 
had  been  some  time  ere  he  could  trust  him- 
self to  its  support.  The  first  delay  had  been 
caused  by  the  absence  from  home  of  his 
friend.  The  search  for  him  had  led  Myo  to 
the  premises  of  the  very  magistrate  before 
whom  his  honorable  friends  from  Seoul  had 
recently  appeared.  Here  Myo  bestowed  upon 
Margaret  a look  which  said  most  eloquently 
that  he  implored  her  to  believe  the  truth  of 
his  assertion. 

“ I don’t  believe  he  is  telling  the  truth,” 
declared  Arthur.  “ You  can  see  that  by  the 
hang-dog  expression  of  his  face.  I tell  you 
what,  Meg,  I am  beginning  to  think  that  we 
have  undertaken  a risky  piece  of  business  in 


124  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

coming  up  the  Han  and  trusting  ourselves  to 
the  mercy  of  its  native  polemen.” 

“ Surely,  Arthur,  you  don’t  include  Kang. 
He  seems  a nice,  straightforward  young  man, 
and  Chefoo,  too,  appears  a well-meaning  and 
honest  fellow.” 

“ O Kang  is  all  right ; and  so,  too,  is 
Chefoo,  I’m  certain.  But  then  neither  Kang 
nor  Chefoo  knows  the  Han  above  Nang-chon. 
I tell  you  what,  Meg,  I am  beginning  to  see 
more  and  more  plainly  just  what  poor  Mr. 
Walter  had  to  endure  from  his  polemen,  for 
they  were  treacherous  fellows,  as  it  afterward 
appeared.” 

“ I think  they  acted  more  from  greed, 
Arthur.  They  coveted  some  of  poor  Mr. 
Walter’s  effects,  especially  the  gold  nuggets  it 
is  believed  he  possessed.” 

“ But  there  is  one  man  who  seemed  to  have 
been  faithful  to  him,  Margaret,  his  servant 
Won-su,  or  so  Mr.  Walter’s  letters  indicated. 
What  a pity  no  trace  of  him  could  ever  be 
found.” 

“ O but,  Arthur,  have  you  forgotten  how 
his  battered  body  was  picked  up  out  of  the 
Han?” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  125 

“ It  was  only  supposed  so,  Margaret.  You 
may  remember  that  there  were  two  or  three 
men  who  asserted  most  positively  that  the 
body  was  not  that  of  Won-su?  If  he  did 
escape,  however,  his  persistent  keeping  out  of 
the  way  is  assuredly  very  queer  of  him,  for 
there  would  be  no  reason  why  he  should  do 
so.  Mr.  Walter  had  nothing  but  praise  for 
Won-su  in  every  communication  forwarded 
to  Seoul.” 

There  was  no  thought  of  trying  to  make 
any  further  headway  up  the  river  for  that 
day.  Thanks  to  the  magistrate  and  to  Myo’s 
idling  the  day  had  been  as  good  as  lost. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  remain  tied 
up  at  that  point  for  another  night. 

Myo  was  moody  and  silent  through  all  of 
the  next  day.  More  than  once  his  attention 
had  to  be  called  to  certain  important  details 
by  Kang.  There  were  in  the  course  several 
swirling  spaces  of  water  with  rock-ribbed 
channels,  and  it  was  altogether  inexcusable 
in  Myo  to  be  so  absent-minded. 

That  day  a part  of  the  contents  of  the 
sampan,  especially  portions  of  their  bedding, 
got  pretty  badly  soaked.  They  were  glad 


126  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


enough  to  tie  up  all  day  as  well  as  all 
night  at  the  next  village  and  to  give  their 
effects  time  to  dry  in  the  sun.  Moreover, 
it  was  at  this  village  that  Mr.  Vance  de- 
sired to  gain  certain  information  concerning 
the  outlook  for  the  new  mission  venture. 
His  reception  by  the  people  was  such  that 
he  decided  to  remain  two  days  instead  of 
one. 

Services  were  held  twice  at  this  town.  At 
night  the  people  flocked  again  to  the  banks 
to  pay  their  respects  and  to  satisfy  their 
curiosity.  Hundreds  of  queer  little  lights 
began  to  twinkle  along  the  shore.  They 
looked  not  unlike  big  fireflies,  darting  here 
and  there. 

“You  would  never  guess  what  it  is  they 
have,”  Arthur  said  to  Margaret  and  Sarah. 
He  had  just  been  ashore  with  Wilbur  for  an 
inspection. 

“ They  have  long  wisps  of  twisted  straw, 
five  or  six  feet  long,”  continued  Arthur.  “ It 
is  these  wisps  that  serve  as  torches.  The  ends 
are  lighted.  When  it  chars,  this  charred  end 
is  taken  off  by  pressing  it  against  the  ground. 
Then  in  order  to  make  the  straw  torch  come 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  127 

alive  again,  they  swing  it  until  it  breaks  into 
a fresh  flame.” 

The  next  day  Myo  was  moodier  than  ever. 
He  poled  very  little,  though  he  gave  many 
directions  to  the  men.  He  had  long  periods 
of  abstraction  during  which  he  sat  in  the 
stern,  gazing  out  toward  the  river  banks  or 
down  at  the  water  by  turns.  Then  he  would 
mutter  and  gesticulate.  Occasionally  he  would 
throw  his  hands  above  his  head  in  violent 
movement,  as  though  in  pain. 

Margaret  had  watched  him  from  time  to 
time  all  through  the  morning,  and  at  last  she 
saw  her  opportunity.  Myo  had  taken  out  the 
mysterious  paper  and  was  bending  over  it. 
No  one  was  near  but  Kang,  and  he  was  stand- 
ing up  with  his  back  turned  toward  Myo,  and 
busily  poling. 

“ Now  or  never  ! ” said  Margaret  to  herself, 
and  began  cautiously  to  make  her  way  toward 
Myo. 

“ I feel  like  a thief  or  a burglar,”  she  added, 
“ but  I can’t  stand  back  for  that  now.  I must 
find  out  all  about  the  paper.” 

Myo’s  head  was  lowered  and  the  paper  was 
spread  out  on  his  lap.  Suddenly  he  raised  it, 


128  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


just  as  Margaret  had  seen  him  do  before,  and 
held  it  suspended  while  he  moved  his  head 
up  and  down  within  the  circle  made  by  his 
curved  arms. 

Hastily  Margaret  crept  nearer ; then  she 
did  not  know  whether  to  berate  Myo  for  the 
concern  and  trouble  he  had  caused  her,  or  to 
blame  herself  for  her  folly.  The  paper  held 
aloft  by  Myo  in  this  tragic  manner  was  nothing 
more  than  a pen  and  ink  sketch  of  himself, 
much  crumpled  and  soiled,  yet  so  well  done 
that  the  likeness  was  still  perfect  despite  the 
wear  to  which  the  paper  had  been  subjected. 

It  was  this  same  excellency  of  execution 
that  caused  Margaret  to  give  it  a second  and 
a much  more  careful  look.  Then  she  stepped 
back  with  a suddenness  that  almost  threw 
her  overboard.  It  was  no  wonder  that  she 
was  thus  affected,  for  there,  clearly  visible  at 
the  lower  right  hand  corner  of  the  sketch 
were  the  initials  in  bold,  graceful  outline, 
“W.  H.  G.”I 


CHAPTER  IX 


A DISAPPEARANCE 

Myo  turned  suddenly  to  see  Margaret  gaz- 
ing at  him,  with  a face  that  must  have  clearly 
shown  him  her  emotion.  He  gave  a quick 
start,  muttered  something  unintelligible,  and 
hastily  restored  the  paper  to  the  bosom  of  his 
blouse.  Then  he  sprang  up  and  became  very 
closely  engaged  with  the  poling. 

Margaret  was  not  slow  in  telling  the  others 
of  her  discovery,  and  a very  earnest  consulta- 
tion was  held  shortly  afterward  in  the  little 
cabin  occupied  by  Dr.  Griffin  and  Mr.  Vance. 

The  heart  of  the  young  medical  missionary 
began  to  beat  rapidly  at  the  prospect  of  what 
might  prove  additional  news  of  his  brother. 
Perhaps  this  man  might  even  have  been  with 
him  in  his  last  hour,  who  knew?  What 
pathetic  revelations  would  he  hear  ? 

When,  however,  it  came  to  the  examination 
of  Myo,  it  was  a complete  disappointment. 
He  vowed  and  vowed  again  that  he  knew 

I2p 


130  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

nothing  of  those  last  days  of  the  young  artist 
and  writer.  It  was  several  weeks  prior  to  his 
death  when  Myo  had  last  seen  him.  Young 
Griffin  had  been  at  Myo’s  village.  Myo  had 
been  so  happy  as  to  have  given  him  lodging 
for  a night  or  two.  In  return  he  had  made 
Myo’s  picture.  As  to  that  matter,  he  had 
drawn  the  pictures  of  others  in  the  village 
and  no  doubt  in  more  villages  besides  this 
one.  It  seemed,  in  fact,  to  have  been  a 
favorite  pastime  of  the  young  man. 

“ He  was  after  all  the  Korean  types  he 
could  procure.  I remember  that  well/’  ad- 
mitted Dr.  Griffin. 

A strange  thing  in  connection  with  this 
picture,  however,  was  the  fact  that  Myo  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  part  with  it  for  any 
consideration  named. 

“ He  must  be  desperately  in  love  with 
his  own  phiz,”  remarked  Arthur.  “ I really 
didn’t  suspect  him  of  vanity,  among  his  other 
failings.” 

When  they  had  first  begun  catechizing  him 
Myo  had  shown  a considerable  amount  of 
nervousness.  He  displayed  reluctance,  too, 
in  answering  their  questions.  He  had  heard 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  131 

of  the  tragedy  on  the  Han  whereby  the  young1 
artist  and  newspaper  man  had  lost  his  life, 
and  he  was  aware  that  his  death  had  caused 
considerable  excitement  and  inquiry.  He 
was  therefore  afraid  that  this  sudden  exami- 
nation of  himself,  following  the  discovery  that 
he  had  one  of  the  pictures  executed  by  young 
Griffin,  might  cause  him  to  fall  under  suspi- 
cion, despite  his  innocence.  When,  however, 
he  became  convinced  that  the  present  exami- 
nation was  merely  for  the  purpose  of  gaining 
all  the  information  possible,  Myo  grew  more 
at  ease  and  showed  no  further  opposition  to 
being  questioned.  But  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr. 
Griffin,  after  a careful  examination  of  Myo, 
asserted  that  it  was  very  clear  to  them  that 
their  chief  poleman  knew  no  more  than  he 
had  told  them  of  Walter  Griffin.  Yet  Mar- 
garet was  not  satisfied. 

“ Meg’s  persistence  would  pull  down  a stone 
wall,”  Arthur  often  declared.  But  Margaret 
was  convinced  that  Myo  knew  more  of  Mr. 
Walter  than  he  would  tell.  Rigid  question- 
ing had  failed  to  bring  to  light  the  knowl- 
edge she  firmly  believed  he  possessed.  If  this 
knowledge  were  ever  wrested  from  him,  it 


132  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

would  have  to  be  done  warily.  Margaret  de- 
termined to  watch  him  more  closely  than  ever. 

They  spent  the  next  day  at  a small  village, 
where,  as  usual  on  the  Sabbath,  religious  serv- 
ices were  held. 

During  the  next  two  days  the  scenery 
changed  considerably,  growing  wilder  and 
more  rugged.  The  river  made  many  abrupt 
turns,  running  through  narrow,  rocky  chan- 
nels, with  steep  cliffs  rising  almost  perpendic- 
ularly upon  either  side.  Anon  it  widened 
out  into  a lake-like  expanse,  where  the  water 
was  not  only  deep,  but  remarkably  still.  Yet 
there  were  at  many  places,  Myo  told  them, 
great  heaps  of  upheaved  boulders,  lying  just 
below  the  surface.  If  the  sampan  ran  sud- 
denly upon  one  of  these,  it  would  assuredly 
come  to  grief.  But  Myo  was  an  old  Han 
poleman.  He  knew  just  where  these  sub- 
merged rocks  lay,  and  could  thus  avoid  them. 

“I  am  satisfied,”  declared  Mr.  Vance  more 
than  once,  “ that  if  we  did  not  have  Myo  we 
would  come  to  grief.” 

At  the  next  village  where  they  tied  up, 
Myo  told  them  that  they  were  now  nearly 
eight  hundred  feet  above  sea  level.  They 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  133 

were  glad  enough  to  creep  under  double 
blankets  that  night. 

The  scenery  was  so  beautiful,  the  air  so 
vigorous  and  bracing,  and  the  people  appeared 
so  pleasant  and  good-natured,  that  Mr.  Vance 
and  Dr.  Griffin  decided  to  spend  two  or  three 
days  here.  They  were  first  led  to  this  deci- 
sion through  the  glowing  pictures  painted  by 
Myo  of  the  wonderful  sights  to  be  seen  in  the 
vicinity.  For  one  thing,  there  was  a tall  hill 
which  was  said  to  be  literally  crammed  full 
of  gold.  Many  people  had  been  known  to 
get  nuggets  out  of  it,  though  Myo  somewhat 
reluctantly  confessed  he  had  never  been  one 
of  the  fortunate  ones. 

“ Mr.  Walter  wrote  us  of  some  nuggets  of 
gold  he  had  found  ! ” said  Margaret  suddenly. 
“ He  was  quite  gay  about  it,  and  declared  he 
was  going  to  bring  enough  home  with  him  to 
make  us  all  rich  for  the  rest  of  our  lives. 
Perhaps  he  may  have  secured  them  at  this 
very  hill  about  which  Myo  has  told  us.  Did 
you  ever  hear  him  say  that  he  had  been 
there,  Myo?”  asked  Margaret  pleasantly. 

Myo  looked  down  for  a moment  as  though 
to  give  the  matter  due  thought,  then  slowly 


134  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

raised  his  head  again  to  announce  that  he 
was  quite  sure  the  young  man  with  the  pic- 
tures in  his  head  had  never  led  him,  Myo,  to 
believe  that  he  had  ever  been  at  the  hill  with 
the  golden  heart. 

There  was  another  question  Margaret  de- 
sired to  ask,  and  she  asked  it  now,  smiling 
sweetly  at  Myo. 

“ Whereabouts  in  the  neighborhood  is  your 
old  home,  Myo?  Am  I not  right  in  believ- 
ing, from  what  I have  been  told,  that  it  is 
somewhere  not  far  from  here  ? ” 

After  a moment  Myo  confessed  that  it  was 
at  a village  further  on,  though  he  did  not 
state  how  much  further.  There  was  a reluc- 
tance very  evident  about  Myo  to  give  infor- 
mation concerning  his  old  home  up  the  Han. 

They  had  not  much  more  than  eaten  break- 
fast that  morning  when  another  sampan 
arrived.  It  had  put  in  for  supplies,  as  was 
soon  evidenced. 

“ It  is  young  Ernest  Warren,”  said  Dr. 
Griffin,  “ engineer  at  the  gold  mines  above 
Nang-Chon,  and  his  polemen.  I must  go' 
around  and  speak  to  him.  I want  you  to 
know  him.  He  is  a bright,  clever  fellow. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  135 

Besides,  we  can  no  doubt  get  some  points 
from  him  about  the  river,  and  the  monastery, 
too,  perhaps,”  he  added  in  a lower  voice.  “ It 
is  true  his  company  hasn't  been  operating 
long  in  that  territory — only  about  a year. 
Still,  he  is  a young  man  who  picks  up  much 
as  he  goes  along.” 

“ Why,  he  must  be  something  of  a jackdaw,” 
remarked  Margaret  laughingly  to  Sarah. 

“ Or  like  a vender  of  old  clothes,”  laughed 
Sarah  back. 

The  young  man,  however,  didn't  come  any- 
where near  to  filling  either  of  these  suggested 
rbles,  as  both  girls  speedily  discovered.  He 
was  quite  young  for  the  position  he  occupied, 
not  more  than  twenty-five.  He  had  a bright, 
frank  face  which  lighted  up  wonderfully  when 
he  was  talking  upon  any  subject  that  particu- 
larly interested  him,  and  his  manner  was  very 
affable  and  cordial. 

He  gave  them  many  valuable  hints  con- 
cerning the  Han. 

“ The  worst  of  the  rapids  are  above  Nang- 
Chon,”  he  told  Mr.  Vance.  “ Unless  you 
have  well-informed  and  thoroughly  reliable 
polemen,  don’t  attempt  it,  or  you  will  come 


136  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

to  grief.  The  wisest  way,  if  you  are  not  sure 
of  your  polemen,  would  be  to  complete  the 
journey  by  means  of  ponies.  It  would  not  be 
hard  to  hire  at  Nang-Chon  as  many  as  you 
would  desire.” 

“ Oh,  we  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  Myo, 
Kang,  and  the  other  polemen,  especially  in 
Myo,”  Mr.  Vance  assured  him. 

“ Don’t  forget  that  you  are  to  come  and 
pay  me  a visit  on  your  way  to  the  Diamond 
Mountain  region,”  he  called  out  gaily  to 
Margaret  and  Sarah  as  the  sampan  was  being 
pushed  off  shore.  “ Your  elders  have  made 
the  promise,  and  I’ll  await  your  coming  with 
considerable  anticipation.  I think  the  sights 
might  repay  you.  Besides,  there  is  the  added 
inducement  of  a handkerchief  full  of  gold 
nuggets  to  be  carried  home  with  you.” 

“ O we’ll  come,  never  fear,”  cried  Margaret 
cheerily,  “ especially  after  that  last  induce- 
ment. I suspect,  however,  you’ll  find  us  so 
greedy  we  will  not  be  content  with  the 
handkerchief,  but  will  want  a sack  full.” 

“ Oh,  you  are  welcome  to  all  you  can  carry 
away,”  was  the  laughing  response.  Then  as 
the  sampan  was  about  to  pass  out  of  sight  be- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  137 

yond  some  overhanging  boughs,  he  lifted  his 
hat  and  bowed. 

Little  idea  had  any  of  them  of  the  circum- 
stances under  which  they  were  to  meet  again. 

The  sampan  party  spent  the  remainder  of 
that  day  in  sight-seeing  under  the  guidance 
of  Myo.  They  found  the  scenes  fully  as 
beautiful  as  he  had  pictured  them,  and  the 
hill,  believed  by  the  natives  to  have  a solid 
heart  of  gold,  threw  quite  a spell  of  fascina- 
tion over  them. 

“ I wish  we  could  bore  right  through,  and 
carry  off  a big  part  of  its  treasure,”  said 
Margaret. 

“ Well,  some  one  has  been  trying  to  do 
that,”  replied  Wilbur.  “ Just  look  here  ! ” 

Sure  enough  there  was  every  evidence  of  a 
crude  attempt  to  enter  the  hill  in  the  search 
for  the  gold. 

“ I wonder  how  far  this  tunnel  extends,” 
said  Stephen.  “ I have  the  mind  to  explore 
it  for  a short  distance.” 

As  he  spoke  he  produced  a match,  and 
began  to  search  for  a bit  of  dry  wood  to  serve 
as  a torch. 

“ Don’t  do  anything  so  rash,”  remonstrated 


138  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Margaret.  “ You  don't  know  where  the 
tunnel  may  lead." 

“ If  you  don't  mind  the  demons  will  get 
you,"  laughed  Sarah. 

“ Wait  until  Myo  comes  around  this  way 
and  we'll  ask  him  about  it,"  suggested  Ar- 
thur. 

But  Myo  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the  mood  to 
give  them  information  concerning  the  tunnel. 
He  really  knew  nothing  about  it,  he  asserted. 
'Twas  said  some  foreigner  had  done  it  years  be- 
fore. Whether  or  not  he  had  obtained  much 
for  his  trouble  was  not  known,  though  it  was 
believed  he  had  gone  away  quite  a rich  man. 
As  to  the  natives,  they  had  never  dared  to 
enter  the  tunnel  for  an  examination,  since 
the  very  day  he  departed  there  had  been  a 
violent  shake  of  the  hill,  felt  through  all  the 
region  round  about,  and  the  tunnel  had  been 
closed  up  several  feet  from  its  mouth.  The 
people  of  the  neighborhood  had  declared  the 
demons  were  angry  because  the  man  had  be- 
gun at  the  base  of  the  mountain  to  bore  his 
tunnel,  instead  of  going  to  the  top,  where  all 
might  see. 

There  was  one  question  Margaret  desired  to 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  139 

ask  Myo,  but  had  thought  of  it  too  late,  that 
is,  too  late  for  that  time.  She  must  wait  now 
for  the  next  opportunity.  The  question  was  : 
How  did  Myo  know  that  the  tunnel  had 
closed  up  several  feet  from  its  mouth  ? Had 
he  been  in  to  see  ? 

“ I will  ask  him  early  to-morrow,”  was 
Margaret's  decision,  as  she  was  preparing  to 
retire  for  the  night.  But  when  she  enquired 
for  Myo  the  following  morning  it  was  to 
learn  that  he  had  asked  permission  to  spend 
the  day  with  a friend  a little  beyond  the 
village.  He  had  departed  shortly  after  sun- 
rise. 

While  they  were  eating  breakfast  Mr.  Vance 
remarked, 

“ We  will  take  a portion  of  to-day  to  lay  in 
some  supplies.  Young  Warren  told  me  we 
would  find  it  a capital  place.  The  farmers 
are  well  to  do  and  the  prices  far  more  reason- 
able than  in  the  larger  towns  further  on.” 

“ Do  let  us  help  you,  father,”  spoke 
Stephen. 

“ That  I will,  my  boy.  I was  just  going  to 
propose  that  we  divide  into  two  parties. 
Each  party  can  take  a certain  portion  of  the 


140  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

village,  even  going  into  the  country  beyond, 
if  necessary.” 

“All  right,  father.  Now  let  us  hear  how 
the  parties  are  to  be  made  up,  that  is,  who 
shall  compose  them.” 

“ Well,  you,  Stephen,  may  go  with  me  and 
Kodong,”  motioning  toward  one  of  the  young 
polemen,  “ and  I’ll  send  Chefoo  with  Arthur 
and  Wilbur.” 

“Why,  isn’t  Dr.  Charles  going?”  asked 
Stephen  quickly. 

“No,  he  must  stay  here  to  see  that  these 
two  young  women  don’t  get  into  mischief,” 
nodding  toward  Margaret  and  Sarah  as  he 
spoke. 

“ And  a terrible  responsibility  I shall  find 
it ! ” cried  Dr.  Griffin.  “ Don’t  you  envy 
me  ? ” and  he  tried  his  best  to  look  like  a 
martyr. 

“ Oh,  Dr.  Charles,  how  mean  of  you  ! ” cried 
Margaret.  “ But  never  you  mind,  we’ll  pay 
you  for  that  yet.” 

“ I feel  quite  confident  that  you  will,”  re- 
plied Dr.  Griffin,  his  eyes  twinkling.  “ I am 
living  in  anticipation  of  it.” 

The  two  parties  set  off  after  supplies  in  gay 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  141 

spirits,  each  with  a large  basket  or  other  re- 
ceptacle. 

“ You  must  expect  to  lay  bare  the  whole 
countryside,”  said  Margaret  merrily.  “ Poor 
people ! they  will  no  doubt  have  a famine 
after  this.” 

“ O we  expect  to  come  back  completely 
filled  up,”  replied  Arthur,  “ and  for  the  next 
week  or  two  we’ll  fare  like  nabobs.  You’ll 
see  if  we  don’t,  Miss  Margaret.” 

In  three  hours’  time  Mr.  Vance,  Stephen, 
and  Kodong  returned.  They  had  had  splen- 
did luck,  and  were  burdened  with  all  they 
could  well  carry.  Another  hour  passed,  but 
there  was  no  sign  of  Arthur,  Wilbur,  or  Chefoo. 

It  was  now  the  time  for  their  noonday  meal. 
Min  had  been  busy  with  his  brazier  for  over 
an  hour,  and  among  other  appetizing  viands 
there  were  the  fish  caught  in  the  river,  all 
nicely  browned  and  smoking  hot. 

Another  hour,  and  still  the  second  party 
sent  for  supplies  remained  away.  Mr.  Vance 
began  to  look  troubled  and  Dr.  Griffin  had 
risen  two  or  three  times  in  a nervous 
manner  and  walked  down  the  pathway  in  the 
direction  taken  by  the  boys. 


142  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ I fear  they  went  much  further  than  they 
intended/'  Dr.  Griffin  said  at  length. 

“ What  I fear  chiefly,"  remarked  Mr.  Vance, 
“ is  that  they  have  lost  their  bearings  and  are 
wandering  about  aimlessly.  We’ll  eat  our 
meal  anyhow,  for  it  will  spoil  if  kept  longer. 
We  can  put  aside  the  boys’  share.’’ 

Four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  still  no 
sign  of  the  boys  and  Chefoo.  Mr.  Vance  be- 
gan to  pace  nervously  back  and  forth.  Mar- 
garet and  Sarah  looked  anxious  and  worried. 
Dr.  Griffin  stepped  aside  for  an  earnest  con- 
versation with  Kang.  Would  he  please  go 
and  bring  Myo  ? 

Kang  was  no  more  than  out  of  sight,  when 
down  the  river  path  from  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, there  came  the  sound  of  swiftly  running 
feet,  of  a body  fairly  tearing  through  the  un- 
derbrush. The  next  moment  Chefoo,  wild- 
eyed, disheveled,  and  panting  for  breath, 
threw  himself  at  Mr.  Vance’s  feet.  As  soon 
as  he  could  recover  speech,  he  had  a startling 
story  to  tell.  The  boys  had  disappeared  sev- 
eral hours  before,  and  he  had  not  the  remotest 
idea  where  they  were  ! 


CHAPTER  X 


IMPRISONED 

Bit  by  bit  they  succeeded  in  getting  Che- 
foo’s  story  from  him.  He  was  not  only  ex- 
hausted from  hard  running,  but  he  was  greatly 
excited.  He  did  not  know  how  much  he 
would  be  blamed  in  the  matter. 

The  boys  and  Chefoo  had  not  been  success- 
ful at  first  in  their  search  for  supplies,  as  the 
inmates  of  many  of  the  homes  at  which  they 
had  called  were  away  in  the  rice-fields.  Fi- 
nally, they  decided  to  push  on  to  another  vil- 
lage, of  which  they  had  heard,  lying  four 
miles  further  up  the  river.  Here,  their  in- 
formants assured  them,  they  would  without 
doubt  procure  all  the  supplies  they  wished. 
Feeling  in  splendid  trim,  the  boys  did  not 
demur  at  the  long  walk,  though  Chefoo  did, 
and  advised  going  back  to  get  ponies.  He 
knew  where  a man  lived  who  would  let  them 
have  the  ponies  cheap  for  a few  hours.  But 
the  boys  were  used  to  walking,  they  declared, 

*43 


i44  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

and  wouldn’t  mind  the  tramp  at  all.  Besides, 
there  was  much  more  to  see  afoot. 

The  village  had  been  reached  and  their  in- 
quiries for  supplies  well  rewarded,  when  the 
trouble  suddenly  overtook  them.  Like  a bolt 
from  a clear  sky  it  fell.  There  was  a group 
of  mirioks  and  of  totem  poles  near  the  centre 
of  the  village.  They  were  grotesquely  carved 
and  painted,  and  made  hideous  by  the  numer- 
ous streamers  of  old  clothes,  twisted  wisps  of 
straw,  and  the  remains  of  old  shoes  that 
dangled  from  them.  Thoughtlessly  the  boys 
began  to  laugh  and  to  make  remarks  concern- 
ing them.  Chefoo  spoke  warning  words,  but 
they  would  not  heed  him.  Slowly  a crowd 
began  to  gather,  unnoticed  by  the  boys,  but 
painfully  apparent  to  Chefoo.  There  were 
scowling  faces  and  now  and  then  a threatening 
sentence.  The  mirioks  and  totem  poles  were 
the  guardians  of  the  village,  set  there  to  avoid 
the  evils  the  demons  would  otherwise  do. 
What  business  had  these  impertinent  young 
strangers  to  find  subject  for  humor  in  them? 

Suddenly  something  that  was  streaming 
out  to  the  breeze  from  near  the  top  of  one  of 
the  mirioks  seemed  to  attract  their  attention 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  145 

irresistibly.  There  was  a quick  exclamation 
from  Arthur,  an  answering  one  from  Wilbur, 
then,  ere  Chefoo  could  so  much  as  divine 
their  intention,  much  less  prevent  it,  both 
boys  started  off  at  full  speed  toward  the 
mirioks.  The  crowd,  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
set  out  to  follow  them.  So,  too,  did  Chefoo. 

The  poleman  did  not  know  how  it  had  hap- 
pened. There  was  a scramble,  a sudden 
scuffle  as  though  they  playfully  contended 
with  each  other.  Then  Arthur  lost  his  bal- 
ance. He  careened  toward  one  of  the  mirioks, 
and  over  it  went,  with  Arthur  on  top  of  it 
and  Wilbur  clutching  wildly  at  Arthur.  The 
miriok,  which  was  of  wood,  was  no  doubt 
well  rotted  from  a long  standing  in  the  moist 
earth,  Chefoo  admitted,  and  required  but 
little  force  to  send  it  toppling  over.  But  the 
crowd  did  not  take  this  into  consideration. 
As  they  looked  at  it,  the  boys  had  maliciously 
committed  mischief.  They  had  dared  to 
desecrate  the  sacred  charms,  had  not  only 
wilfully  made  fun  of  them,  but  had  also  laid 
one  of  them  low. 

Instantly  the  two  boys  were  seized,  and 
despite  their  own  explanations  and  remon- 


146  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

strances,  and  Chefoo’s  entreaties  and  promises, 
they  were  carried  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
magistrate’s.  Chefoo  had  attempted  again 
and  again  to  follow,  but  each  time  had  been 
driven  back.  His  next  effort  was  to  make  a 
detour  of  the  village  and  to  try  to  gain  some 
point  of  vantage  from  which  he  might  take 
note  of  what  happened  to  them.  But  the 
only  points  of  information  he  had  been  able 
to  obtain  were  to  the  effect  that  the  magistrate 
of  the  district,  who  resided  at  the  town  in 
question,  was  on  a journey  to  Seoul  and  would 
not  return  under  ten  or  twelve  days.  His 
son,  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  affairs, 
declared  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  matter,  as  it  was  quite  too  serious  for  him. 
He  had  therefore  ordered  the  boys  imprisoned 
until  his  father’s  return,  but  as  to  the  location 
of  their  prison  Chefoo  could  learn  nothing 
definite.  It  was  not  on  the  magistrate’s 
premises,  as  the  son  had  declared  he  would 
not  have  them  there. 

“ Poor  lads  ! I fear  they  will  pay  dearly 
for  their  momentary  folly,  if  they  have  not 
already  done  so,”  said  Mr.  Vance. 

“ The  question  now  is  how  best  to  proceed 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  147 

without  making  matters  worse,”  replied  Dr. 
Griffin.  “ If  the  magistrate  were  only  here, 
we  might  buy  or  intimidate  him.  But  in  his 
absence  we  are  handicapped,  especially  if  the 
son  is  inclined  to  be  puffed  up  with  his  own 
importance.” 

“ The  first  move  assuredly  is  to  get  nearer 
the  village,”  said  Mr.  Vance  again,  “ and  the 
next  to  find  out  just  where  our  poor  lads  are 
being  held  as  prisoners.  So  soon  as  Myo 
comes,  which  ought  to  be  shortly,  we  will 
push  off.” 

But  Myo  did  not  come  as  expected.  In 
truth,  Kang,  after  considerable  delay,  returned 
without  him.  He  had  succeeded  at  last  in 
coming  up  with  Myo,  who,  it  seemed,  had 
been  making  a succession  of  visits  to  old 
friends.  Myo  had  informed  Kang  that  it 
would  simply  be  out  of  the  question  for  him 
to  return  that  evening  to  the  sampan.  There 
was  some  business  to  which  he  must  attend. 
It  was  no  matter  if  the  sampan  was  held  an- 
other day  at  the  village.  Those  aboard  it  had 
plenty  of  time  to  spare. 

Kang's  sympathies  were  sincere  and  deep 
when  he  returned  to  learn  of  the  true  state  of 


148  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

affairs.  He  agreed  readily  with  Mr.  Vance 
that  the  first  important  move  was  to  take  the 
sampan  up  the  river,  at  least  to  the  outskirts 
of  the  village  where  the  boys  had  been  seized 
and  confined.  But  there  was  not  daylight 
enough  to  do  it  now.  They  must  wait  until 
morning,  for  there  was  a very  bad  rapid  in 
the  way.  If  Myo  did  not  return  in  the  morn- 
ing, as  there  was  some  hope  he  would  do,  he, 
Kang,  would  get  the  assistance  of  one  of  the 
village  polemen,  who  knew  the  currents,  and 
the  sampan  could  no  doubt  be  taken  safely  to 
the  proposed  destination. 

The  joyous  spirit  that  had  so  recently  per- 
vaded the  hearts  of  those  aboard  the  sampan, 
especially  the  young  members  of  the  party, 
had  now  given  place  to  one  of  deep  appre- 
hension. 

“ I cannot  see  what  possessed  the  lads,”  Mr. 
Vance  said.  “ Arthur,  at  least,  ought  to  have 
known  better.  I am  truly  shocked  by  his 
behavior.” 

“ Father,”  said  Margaret  earnestly,  “ I can’t 
believe  that  Arthur  or  Wilbur  really  behaved 
in  the  manner  described  by  Chefoo,  though 
at  the  same  time,  I must  say,  I am  not  ques- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  149 

tioning  Chefoo’s  honesty  in  the  matter.  It 
really  appeared  to  him  as  he  described  it,  I 
am  sure.  Only  Arthur  or  Wilbur  can  ex- 
plain it ; that  they  can  explain  it,  I am  cer- 
tain.” 

“ Your  opinion  is  very  much  my  own,  Mar- 
garet,” her  father  replied.  “ I have  had  the 
very  same  thoughts  concerning  the  conduct 
of  the  lads.  They  may  perhaps  have  laughed 
at  the  grotesque  appearance  of  the  mirioks ; 
you  know  how  easy  it  is  for  Arthur  to  see  an 
amusing  side.  If  Wilbur  went  further  it  was 
through  ignorance.  But  that  either  lad  could 
contemplate  or  carry  out  the  design  of  doing 
harm  to  the  mirioks,  I cannot  for  one  moment 
believe.” 

This  was  the  opinion  shared  by  all.  The 
boys  had  fallen  into  trouble,  it  was  evident, 
but  it  was  not  through  any  malicious  act  on 
their  part. 

“ They  will  no  doubt  put  them  in  some 
loathsome  place,”  said  Margaret,  the  tears  in 
her  eyes,  “ where  they  cannot  get  a breath  of 
pure,  sweet  air ; and  they  will  feed  them  on 
all  manner  of  horrible  food.  O poor  Arthur ! 
poor  Wilbur ! Would  that  you  and  I were 


150  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

boys,  Sarah/’  her  eyes  suddenly  flashing,  “ so 
that  we  might  go  and  search  for  them  and 
fight  for  them  until  they  were  released.” 

Stephen  heard  these  remarks,  and  they 
stung  him  no  little.  He  was  a boy  and  he 
had  both  a brave  and  a willing  heart,  yet 
what  was  he  able  to  do  under  the  exasperat- 
ing circumstances  ? Had  not  even  his  father 
and  Dr.  Griffin  failed  in  the  quest  on  which 
they  had  gone?  What,  then,  could  Meg  or 
Sarah  do  if  they  were  boys? 

“ You  think,  Meg,  that  you  would  be  able 
to  accomplish  something  if  you  were  really  a 
boy  and  could  go  out  to  look  for  Wilbur  and 
Arthur,”  he  said.  “ But  father  and  Dr.  Griffin 
both  say  that  it  isn’t  strength  but  cunning 
that  is  going  to  win  in  this  trouble.  The 
Koreans  are  wily  and  full  of  tricks.  If  we 
are  to  succeed  in  liberating  Wilbur  and  Arthur 
as  speedily  as  we  hope,  we  must  meet  cunning 
with  cunning.” 

“ Why,  Stephen  ! ” cried  Margaret  suddenly, 
as  she  turned  toward  him,  her  lips  suspi- 
ciously near  a smile,  “ you  dear  old  sensitive 
plant  you  ! Why,  no  one  had  a thought  of 
you  in  what  was  said.  There  was  never  a 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  151 

question  of  your  courage  and  loyalty,  never ! 
never  ! We  are  too  well  aware  of  that.  Sarah 
and  I were  only  bemoaning  our  helplessness, 
that  was  all.” 

Apart  from  the  lighter  vein  in  which  she 
had  replied  to  Stephen’s  speech,  there  was 
that  in  it  that  had  given  Margaret  food  for 
thought.  Was  the  only  way  left  open  to  them 
to  meet  cunning  with  cunning?  Yet  how 
was  it  to  be  done  ? 

Myo  had  not  appeared  in  the  morning,  but 
Kang,  making  his  promise  good,  had  obtained 
one  of  the  village  polemen  and  safely  con- 
ducted the  sampan  to  the  point  desired. 

Mr.  Vance,  however,  had  not  waited  for  the 
morning  ere  making  search  for  Wilbur  and 
Arthur.  Taking  Chefoo  and  Kodong  he  had 
started  for  the  village  shortly  after  the  return 
of  Kang.  He  searched  long  and  patiently, 
but  was  baffled  at  every  point.  Those  of 
whom  he  enquired  either  could  not  or  would 
not  give  him  the  information  desired.  The 
boys  had  been  taken  for  better  security  to  the 
house  of  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  the 
village.  Just  who  this  man  was,  and  where 
he  resided,  no  one  appeared  to  know. 


152  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


The  next  day  Dr.  Griffin  and  'Kang,  set 
forth  on  the  quest.  They,  too,  searched  ear- 
nestly and  with  painstaking  care  but  without 
avail.  The  boys  were  imprisoned  somewhere 
within  the  village  but  where,  they  were  un- 
able to  learn.  The  chief  reason  for  the  failure 
lay  in  the  fact  that  they  were  not  permitted 
to  enter  any  of  the  dwellings,  save  two  or 
three  of  the  humbler  class.  They  were  met 
without,  and  persistently  held  there  through 
all  the  time  of  questioning.  This  had  been 
the  experience  of  Mr.  Vance  and  also  that  of 
Dr.  Griffin.  Neither  were  Chefoo,  Kodong  or 
Kang  more  successful.  They  had  been  spotted 
as  the  servants  of  the  foreigners  and  as  such 
were  regarded  with  suspicion  and  kept  at  a 
distance.  The  only  satisfaction  that  could  be 
obtained  was  to  the  effect  that  when  the 
magistrate  returned  the  boys  would  be  pro- 
duced and  the  trial  take  place. 

Mr.  Vance  thought  of  appealing  to  the  au- 
thorities at  Chong-chon,  the  largest  town  on 
the  river  above  them,  but  hesitated  to  do 
this,  fearing  a complication  that  would  make 
matters  worse  instead  of  better.  Another 
thought  that  presented  itself  was  a telegraph 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  153 

message  to  the  American  Consul  in  Seoul, 
urging  him  to  present  the  matter  at  once  to 
the  king.  There  was  a station  at  Chong- 
chon,  though  he  had  heard  that  messages 
were  sent  in  only  once  a week.  By  the  time 
the  king’s  ear  had  been  gained  and  the 
message  from  him  had  arrived,  what  might 
not  have  happened  ? Yet  Mr.  Vance  resolved 
that  if  by  the  evening  of  the  morrow  no 
clearer  light  had  been  shed  upon  the  perplex- 
ing matter  either  he  or  Dr.  Griffin,  on  pony 
back  and  with  a guide,  would  start  up  the 
river  to  Chong-chon. 

Another  plan  that  had  been  tried  was  com- 
munication with  the  magistrate’s  son.  After 
much  maneuvring  and  an  endless  amount 
of  trouble,  Mr.  Vance  at  last  obtained  an 
audience  with  him.  He  found  him  a dissi- 
pated young  idler,  too  indolent  to  really 
care  which  way  the  matter  went.  He  had 
promised  certain  of  the  villagers  that  the 
lads  should  be  punished,  and  he  meant  to 
keep  his  promise.  He  had  stability  enough 
for  that,  it  seemed,  though  none  to  be  turned 
toward  a good  purpose.  When  Mr.  Vance 
entreated  that  he  be  permitted  to  communi- 


154  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

cate  with  the  boys,  the  young  glutton,  whose 
face  was  puffed  from  the  effects  of  high  liv- 
ing, arched  his  brows  as  well  as  he  could,  de- 
claring that  he  really  did  not  know  where 
the  boys  were  confined.  It  had  been  too 
much  bother  to  charge  himself  with  the 
knowledge.  There  was  nothing  to  do  save 
to  await  the  return  of  his  father.  He  really 
hadn’t  time  for  such  things. 

“ The  young  villain  ! ” said  Margaret  when 
she  heard  of  the  result  of  this  interview. 
“ Wouldn’t  I like  to  get  my  hands  on  him, 
though,  and  shake  him.” 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  MOURNING  STRANGER 

The  fourth  morning  after  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  boys,  and  still  Myo  did  not  re- 
turn ! Messengers  sent  to  communicate  with 
him  failed  to  locate  him.  He  had  disap- 
peared as  completely  as  had  Wilbur  and 
Arthur. 

“ Could  he,  too,  have  met  with  foul  play  ? ” 
asked  Mr.  Vance. 

But  Dr.  Griffin  did  not  think  so.  Myo  had 
some  private  matters  of  his  own,  he  was 
assured,  which  had  not  as  yet  been  adjusted 
to  his  satisfaction.  Besides,  Myo,  no  doubt, 
was  tired  of  the  work  of  poling,  and  this 
business  gave  him  the  excuse  he  wanted  to 
obtain  a period  of  rest. 

“ He  might  at  least  communicate  with  us 
and  let  us  know  his  intentions/’  complained 
Mr.  Vance. 

Truth'  to  tell,  he  was  beginning  to  have 
some  very  queer  feelings  about  Myo.  Marga- 
ret had  her  own  opinion  concerning  Myo, 

i55 


156  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


which,  for  a very  good  reason,  she  kept  to 
herself. 

On  the  morning  of  this  fourth  day  which 
was  Monday,  Margaret’s  nerves  had  reached 
their  highest  tension.  She  felt  that  she 
could  not  possibly  let  another  hour  pass 
without  some  effort  on  her  part  to  effect 
Wilbur’s  and  Arthur’s  release.  If  she  could 
only  find  out  where  they  were,  it  would 
afford  some  relief  to  the  terrible  strain.  She 
entreated  her  father  that  she  and  Sarah,  ac- 
companied by  Kang,  be  permitted  to  make 
one  more  trial  in  the  effort  to  locate  the 
boys’  prison.  Surely  if  they  managed  care- 
fully, they  might  be  able  to  learn  something 
through  the  women  and  children. 

The  same  baffling  circumstances,  however, 
confronted  them  as  before.  They  were  met 
coldly  and  treated  rudely.  In  some  instances, 
they  where  driven  off  the  premises.  Heart- 
sick, Margaret  returned  to  the  sampan ; but 
she  had  not  yet  given  up.  “ Margaret  had  a 
persistency  that  would  level  stone  walls,” 
Arthur  had  declared,  and  truly  was  Margaret 
proving  it.  Plan  after  plan  passed  through 
her  mind,  then  suddenly  Margaret  saw  light. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  157 

“The  only  way  is  to  meet  cunning  with 
cunning,”  Stephen  had  quoted  her  father  and 
Dr.  Griffin  as  saying ; but  as  yet  no  one  had 
formed  an  idea  as  to  how  that  plan  was  to  be 
carried  out ; then  suddenly  Margaret  felt  that 
she  saw  the  way. 

In  Korea,  often  called  the  “ Nation  of  big 
hats,”  there  is  one  that  exceeds  them  all  in 
dimensions,  especially  in  the  extent  of  its 
brim.  This  is  the  “ mourning  hat,”  often  as 
large  as  the  average  umbrella.  The  face  of  a 
mourner,  covering  his  head  with  one  of  these, 
is  completely  shut  off  from  view.  In  addition 
he  arrays  himself  in  a gown  of  light  gray 
with  voluminous  sleeves,  into  which  his  hands 
after  his  arms  have  been  crossed,  are  thrust. 
Thus  no  portion  of  his  person  is  exposed  to 
view.  Should  such  happen  at  any  time,  he  is 
considered  to  be  lacking  in  that  extreme  mod- 
esty and  humility  with  which  all  mourners 
should  be  endowed. 

Everywhere  throughout  Korea  this  mourn- 
ing costume  is  treated  with  the  highest  re- 
spect. No  one  would  think  of  molesting  a 
mourner  thus  arrayed.  He  must  not  even  be 
accosted  ; and  during  this  period  of  mourn- 


158  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


in g,  which  extends  throughout  three  years  for 
a parent,  he  cannot  be  approached  upon  any 
subject,  not  even  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
a bill. 

Among  Mr.  Vance’s  effects,  as  Margaret 
knew,  was  one  of  these  mourning  hats  and 
gowns,  even  the  straw  sandals.  He  had 
brought  it  along  with  the  half  serious,  half 
laughing  remark  that  no  one  of  them  knew 
just  what  emergency  might  arise  to  give  them 
a need  to  use  it.  ' 

“ The  only  drawback  in  it,”  he  added  with 
a merry  twinkle,  “ is  that  neither  Dr.  Griffin 
nor  myself  could  be  successfully  disguised  by 
it.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  quite  too  short,  and 
in  the  second,  our  beards  are  altogether  too 
much  in  evidence.  A genuine  mourner  is 
supposed  to  have  a smooth  face.” 

It  was  of  this  mourning  costume  that  Mar- 
garet now  thought  in  her  desperation.  Her 
plan  was  to  don  it,  to  mingle  with  the  vil- 
lagers, to  listen  to  their  conversation,  and  in 
this  way,  if  possible,  gain  an  idea  as  to  the 
whereabouts  of  Wilbur  and  Arthur.  Once 
she  had  located  them,  she  would  dare  almost 
anything  to  communicate  with  them. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  159 

The  young  girl  was  tall  and  slender,  just 
about  the  height  of  the  average  Korean  man. 
She  was  almost  sure  the  costume  would  fit  her. 
Indeed,  she  had  once  tried  it  on  in  response 
to  a laughing  dare  from  Arthur.  The  only 
portions  of  it  that  gave  her  concern  were  the 
hat  and  sandals.  They  would  assuredly  prove 
too  large. 

“ I can  stuff  them  with  paper,”  she  said  as 
the  question  of  their  fit  presented  itself. 

She  had  to  do  some  skilful  maneuvring  to 
extract  them  from  among  her  father’s  effects 
without  his  knowledge ; but  finally,  with 
Sarah’s  aid,  she  accomplished  it.  With 
Sarah’s  aid,  too,  she  made  further  preparations 
for  the  undertaking. 

As  great  as  was  her  courage  and  assurance, 
Margaret  had  not  dared  to  risk  the  daylight 
on  the  proceedings  she  had  planned.  In  the 
first  place  it  would  have  been  next  to  impos- 
sible to  get  away  from  the  sampan  unobserved, 
even  with  Sarah’s  help ; and  in  the  second  she 
could  not  trust  to  the  dye  on  her  hands  to  pass 
muster  in  the  daylight. 

The  moon  rose  early,  Margaret  knew,  and  it 
was  almost  a full  moon.  She  would  slip  away 


i6o  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

from  the  sampan  just  as  its  first  rays  appeared, 
ere  the  light  had  become  clear  enough  to  be- 
tray her  as  she  slipped  over  the  side  of  the 
sampan. 

“ O my  dear,  how  will  you  ever  get  to  the 
bank  from  this  side  ? ” asked  Sarah,  who  was 
in  the  secret. 

“ I shall  have  to  wade  as  the  natives  do,” 
declared  Margaret  laughing,  “ but  111  take 
care  to  hold  up  my  skirts,  and  I’ll  not  put  on 
stockings  and  sandals  till  I am  safe  ashore.” 

With  many  kisses  and  sighs  from  Sarah, 
and  a few  piteously  sobbed  out  sentences  at  the 
last,  Margaret  arrayed  herself  for  the  under- 
taking she  had  planned  with  so  stout  a heart. 
There  was  only  one  weapon  she  allowed  her- 
self, and  this  was  not  designed  for  her  own 
use.  In  a stout  belt  belonging  to  Arthur, 
wrhich  she  buckled  around  her  waist  under  the 
folds  of  the  mourning  gown,  she  placed  the 
big  knife  with  which  Min  carved  his  fowls. 
Hugging  her  guitar  tightly,  and  concealing  it 
by  the  folds  of  her  robe,  Margaret  stood  ready. 
She  knew  just  how  to  reach  the  shore  through 
the  shallowest  water.  She  had  given  attention 
to  that  at  the  very  beginning  of  her  plan. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  161 

At  one  time  Margaret  feared  she  would  be 
discovered  ere  she  left  the  sampan.  Attracted 
by  some  noise,  doubtless  the  splash  she  made 
as  she  went  into  the  water,  her  father  appeared 
suddenly  in  the  door  of  his  little  cabin.  She 
could  see  him  plainly,  and  he  was  looking 
straight  at  her.  Would  he  suspect  anything 
was  wrong?  Would  he  call  to  her?  Worse 
still,  would  he  send  one  of  the  boatmen  to  in- 
vestigate ? 

As  she  moved  away,  her  heart  thumping  so 
she  could  count  every  beat,  she  heard  her  fa- 
ther remark  as  he  turned  to  Dr.  Griffin, 

“ One  of  those  fellows  in  his  mourning 
costume  is  out  there,  and  when  I first  saw 
him  I think  he  was  coming  toward  the  boat 
and  for  no  good  purpose.  He  is  going  away 
now,  however,  and  I hope  he  will  stay  away. 
It  is  surprising  what  rascals  some  of  these 
people  can  be,  whether  in  mourning  costume 
or  otherwise.  Now  wouldn't  you  think  this 
fellow  would  be  too  busy  with  his  grief  to 
come  prowling  around  here  thinking  of 
what  he  might  lay  his  hands  on  to  carry 
away  ? ” 

Despite  her  loudly  thumping  heart  Marga- 


162  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


ret  almost  laughed  out  as  she  heard  these 
words. 

“ Dear  old  daddy  ! ” she  ejaculated  to  her- 
self, “ he  little  dreams  how  near  to  the  facts 
he  is  speaking  ! ” 

The  path  from  the  river  to  the  village  lay 
deep  in  shadow,  for  the  moon  had  not  yet 
come  sufficiently  above  the  tree-tops  to  flood 
it  with  light.  The  trees  were  quite  dense 
at  this  point.  There  were  ash,  birch  and 
walnut,  and  further  on  groups  of  umbrella 
pine,  with  now  and  then  a wide-spreading 
persimmon. 

Except  for  a few  houses  scattered  about,  the 
village  lay  along  the  principal  street,  which 
ran  almost  parallel  with  the  river.  The  most 
of  the  houses  were  of  mud  thatched  with 
straw.  Around  each  was  a high  fence  made 
of  bamboo.  Now  and  then  a more  preten- 
tious dwelling  was  seen  with  tiled  roof,  and 
in  the  midst  of  a larger  enclosure. 

On  walked  Margaret  slowly,  deliberately, 
as  became  the  costume  she  wore.  She  was 
quite  calm  now,  and  her  heart  had  ceased  its 
rapid  beating.  As  she  desired  to  gain  knowl- 
edge of  the  lay  of  the  path  before  her,  she 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  163 

would  lift  her  head  for  a moment,  then  drop 
it  again  until  her  face  became  concealed 
beneath  the  immense  brim  of  the  hat. 

As  Margaret  neared  the  first  group  of  huts 
two  great  dogs,  gaunt  and  hungry  looking, 
rushed  from  an  opening  in  the  enclosure 
and  began  to  assail  her  with  furious  barking. 

“ Korean  dogs  are  much  given  to  barking, 
but  to  little  biting/’  she  had  heard  her  father 
and  Dr.  Griffin  say,  and  the  proof  of  the 
assertion  had  been  given  them  many  times 
on  this  trip.  Armed  with  this  knowledge 
Margaret  stood  her  ground  boldly.  She 
threw  up  her  arms  and  then  twanged  her 
guitar  at  them.  In  a twinkling  they  dropped 
their  war-like  front,  turned  tail,  and  sneaked 
back  to  the  enclosure. 

With  a courageous  step  Margaret  ap- 
proached and  entered  by  the  same  opening 
through  which  she  had  seen  the  dogs  dis- 
appear. The  noise  of  the  dogs’  barking  had 
drawn  all  the  inmates  of  the  hut  into  the 
yard.  They  regarded  Margaret  curiously  as 
she  approached.  She  raised  her  head  long 
enough  to  discover  that,  with  the  exception 
of  one  very  old  man,  the  group  consisted  of 


164  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


women  and  children.  She  made  them  the 
greeting  she  had  so  often  seen  others  do,  then 
dropped  to  the  ground  as  though  from  ex- 
haustion, her  feet  crossed  under  her  in 
excellent  native  fashion. 

At  once  their  sympathies  were  aroused,  and 
Margaret  felt  “ as  mean  as  a do g,”  as  she 
afterward  expressed  it  to  Sarah,  when  food 
and  drink  were  pressed  upon  her.  She  made 
a great  show  of  paying  her  respects  to  both, 
eating  with  all  the  noise  she  could  command, 
which  is  the  custom  in  Korea  when  one 
desires  to  show  his  appreciation  of  food.  The 
louder  the  lips  are  smacked,  then  the  higher 
the  enjoyment,  and  the  greater,  too,  the  com- 
pliment to  your  host.  All  this  time,  how- 
ever, when  she  appeared  to  be  eating  with 
such  relish,  Margaret  was  conveying  the 
larger  portion  of  the  viands  to  a place  of  con- 
cealment in  the  thick  grass  about  her.  It 
might  be  discovered  in  the  morning,  but  what 
mattered  it  then  ? 

“ What  little  I did  eat  almost  choked  me  .!  ” 
she  afterward  declared,  “ and  the  gags  I made 
in  the  effort  to  get  it  down  were  the  only  real 
parts  of  the  noises  made/ 7 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  165 

While  eating  Margaret  took  care  to  display 
her  hands  as  little  as  possible.  The  guitar, 
too,  she  kept  hugged  up  against  her  under 
the  folds  of  her  robe.  The  time  had  not  yet 
arrived  to  make  use  of  it. 

Once  in  the  midst  of  the  repast  a little 
child  ran  forward  and  curiously  peeped  up 
under  the  hat.  Involuntarily  Margaret 
threw  her  head  up  and  smiled.  For  just 
one  instant  the  moonlight  flashed  upon  her 
face.  The  glimpse  was  enough  to  delight  the 
child.  Where  was  there  a rarer  smile  than 
Margaret’s  ? The  little  one  clapped  her 
hands  and  drew  nearer  still. 

Margaret’s  heart  gave  a rapid  beat  as  she 
realized  her  imprudence.  Had  others  had  a 
glimpse  of  her  face?  Fortunately,  they  had 
been  too  occupied  to  notice.  A woman  now 
called  the  child  away. 

As  Margaret  was  finishing  her  repast,  the 
most  of  the  food  having  gone  into  the  grass, 
two  men  entered  the  enclosure  and  stood 
looking  at  her.  As  much  as  she  dared  she 
raised  her  head  to  get  a view  of  them.  They 
seemed  to  be  well  satisfied  with  the  treatment 
their  women  had  given  her,  and  nodded  ap- 


1 66  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


proval.  They  bowed  to  her  respectfully,  then 
went  and  squatted  in  the  midst  of  the  group 
about  the  doorway. 

Margaret  was  sure  now  she  would  hear 
something  that  would  give  her  a clue.  The 
men  had  no  doubt  been  away  in  the  village 
and  would  have  bits  of  news  at  their  tongues' 
end.  But  the  sequel  proved  that  she  was 
mistaken.  She  caught  no  word  to  indicate 
that  Wilbur,  Arthur,  or  other  member  of  the 
sampan  party  was  the  subject  of  conversation. 
Feeling  convinced  after  a time  that  she  would 
learn  nothing  here,  she  got  up  to  go.  The 
men  also  arose.  They  were  on  the  point  of 
escorting  her  to  her  next  stopping  place,  as 
was  the  custom,  though  she  did  not  know  it. 
At  that  moment,  however,  three  men  came  in 
hurriedly  and  in  evident  excitement.  They 
quickly  made  known  their  errand.  They 
had  come  to  summon  the  men  of  the  family 
to  a conference  at  Mr.  Kat-see’s,  where  the 
matter  of  the  hated  foreigners  was  to  be  dis- 
cussed. 

Margaret’s  heart  gave  a great  bound.  At 
last  she  had  -the  clue  for  which  she  had 
longed,  and  for  which  she  had  risked  so  much  ! 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  CONFERENCE  AT  KAT-SEE’S 

The  men  made  haste  to  depart.  Each 
bowed  to  Margaret  with  much  deference  as  he 
passed  out. 

So  soon  as  she  dared,  Margaret  got  up  to 
follow.  Her  movements,  however,  were  very 
deliberate,  despite  that  her  heart  was  fairly 
bounding  with  the  desire  to  be  away,  close 
upon  the  heels  of  the  men  who  were  going  to 
Kat-see’s  house.  There  she  would  surely 
learn  something  of  the  whereabouts  of  Wilbur 
and  Arthur.  But  dared  she  follow  ? Dared 
she  mingle  with  the  crowd  of  men  gathered 
at  Kat-see’s  ? 

Margaret’s  manner  was  composed,  though 
her  heart  was  now  pounding  away  under  the 
folds  of  the  gray  mourning  gown  in  such  a 
manner  that  it  seemed  to  her  others  must 
hear  it  besides  herself. 

Her  desire  was  to  keep  the  men  in  sight  so 
that  she  could  find  the  way  to  Kat-see’s  with- 
out loss  of  time.  Yet  she  must  not  seem 

167 


168  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


anxious  to  follow  them.  Mourners  in  Korea 
are  expected  to  take  no  lively  interest  in  any- 
thing, but  to  preserve  that  mournful  and  de- 
jected air  in  keeping  with  one  whom  the 
demons  have  seen  fit  to  afflict. 

The  men  walked  rapidly.  But  even  if 
Margaret  had  lost  sight  of  these,  she  could 
still  have  found  the  way  to  Kat-see’s,  for 
other  men  were  seen  coming  from  their  huts, 
and  all  turning  in  the  same  direction.  Truly 
the  gathering  at  Kat-see’s  would  be  no  small 
affair ; and  more  and  more  evident  it  became 
that  Margaret  would  have  need  of  all  her 
courage. 

Kat-see’s  was  reached  at  last.  The  prem- 
ises were  almost  at  the  upper  end  of  the  vil- 
lage and  were  of  such  appearance  as  at  once 
showed  that  Kat-see  was  a person  of  no 
small  importance.  Indeed,  he  had  once  been 
magistrate  of  the  district.  The  house  con- 
sisted of  several  rooms,  and  there  was  a tiled 
roof,  and  actually  two  tiny  panes  of  glass  set 
in  above  two  of  the  window  openings. 

The  men’s  apartments,  which  in  all  Korean 
houses  are  at  the  front,  were  not  far  away 
from  the  gates,  set,  with  some  pretensions  to 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  169 

ornamentation,  in  the  bamboo  fence.  They 
stood  wide  open,  and  everything  about  the 
premises  had  a hospitable  appearance.  Men 
were  seen  within  the  apartments,  while  others 
were  squatting  outside  within  the  circle  of 
light  from  the  openings,  and  vigorously  puff- 
ing away  on  their  long-stemmed  pipes. 

Two  or  three  men  jostled  Margaret  as  all 
tried  to  enter  the  gateway  at  the  same  time. 
She  trembled,  but  with  one  accord  they 
stepped  back,  each  bowing  profoundly. 

“ Now,”  Margaret  said  to  herself,  “ if  ever 
you  needed  grit,  it’s  now.” 

Stepping  within  the  shadow  of  some  shrub- 
bery, she  threw  her  head  up  for  a moment  to 
get  the  lay  of  the  path  before  her  and  the 
situation  of  the  groups  of  men  squatting  in 
front  of  the  apartment.  Then  with  slow  and 
resolute  step  she  passed,  stopping  at  last  near 
to  a group  she  had  singled  out.  She  sank 
with  apparent  ease  to  her  knees,  crossing  her 
feet  under  her,  and  had  reason  to  bless  her- 
self that  she  had  insisted  on  Mok-po’s  giving 
her  again  and  again  training  in  this  art. 

Almost  the  first  words  Margaret  caught 
made  her  heart  bound.  Six  years  in  Seoul 


170  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

and  a close  mingling  throughout  that  time 
with  native  servants  and  with  the  women  and 
girls  of  her  father’s  mission  had  given  Mar- 
garet a fair  understanding  of  the  language. 

They  were  talking  about  the  young  for- 
eigners, and,  as  they  talked,  several  grew 
much  excited. 

“ We  have  treated  them  too  kindly.  They 
should  have  had  severer  punishment,”  de- 
clared one. 

“ So  I have  said,”  was  the  answer.  “ They 
have  made  it  child’s  play  so  far,  merely  keep- 
ing them  in  confinement.” 

“ You  would  have  them  punished  in  addi- 
tion to  the  confinement?  ” 

“ Yes  ; I would.” 

“ But  the  magistrate  is  not  here,  and  no 
one  has  the  authority  but  his  son,  and  he  will 
not  act.” 

“ He  would  not  before,  but  he  will  now,  for 
he  has  sent  word  to  Kat-see  that  he  will  agree 
to  anything  that  is  decided  on  to-night.” 

“ He  does  not  want  the  trouble  of  deciding 
for  himself?  ” 

“ Yes  ; that  is  it  exactly.” 

There  was  something  of  a stir  now,  and  the 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  171 

men  began  getting  up  and  moving  toward  the 
house.  At  first  Margaret  thought  she  dared 
not  follow,  but  after  a moment’s  thought  she 
decided  that  it  appeared  the  most  natural 
thing  to  do.  So  she  arose  and  went  after 
them,  though  at  a becoming  distance. 

Kat-see  had  called  the  conference  to  order 
and  was  now  addressing  them.  Margaret 
pressed  as  near  to  the  apartment  as  she  could 
get.  She  had  not  as  yet  quite  screwed  up 
her  courage  to  the  point  of  entering.  As  she 
stood,  she  almost  touched  elbows  with  a man 
on  her  left. 

All  sorts  of  fears  began  to  assail  Margaret. 
Suppose  that  a strand  of  her  hair  should  take 
a notion  to  straggle  down  from  under  the  hat  ? 
She  thought  she  had  put  it  up  carefully,  but 
somehow  it  began  to  feel  very  loose.  She 
dared  not  put  up  her  hands  for  an  investiga- 
tion, lest  she  make  some  movement  decidedly 
feminine.  What  further  doubts  and  fears 
might  have  assailed  her  were  completely 
driven  from  her  mind  by  words  she  heard 
Kat-see  speak. 

“ The  punishment  to  be  meted  out  to  these 
young  foreign  devils  has  been  decided  upon 


172  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

by  Chun-san  and  myself,  to  be  carried  out 
until  the  return  of  his  father,  the  magistrate, 
which  may  not  be  until  many  days  yet.” 

The  men  pressed  nearer,  eager  to  hear. 
Margaret  scarcely  dared  to  breathe,  so  afraid 
was  she  that  she  might  lose  a word. 

“ The  boys  shall  be  kept  in  their  present 
safe  place  of  confinement,  which  so  far  seems 
to  have  completely  baffled  those  other  foreign 
devils.  But  every  morning,”  continued  Kat- 
see,  and  now  he  smiled  grimly,  “ they  shall 
be  taken  to  the  top  of  the  hill  known  as 
Nippoo-san  and  made  to  toil  in  the  digging 
of  the  tunnel  till  the  going  ^own  of  the  sun. 
And  what  these  slaves  find  in  the  way  of 
golden  nuggets  shall  be  given  to  the  men 
of  the  village  who  care  not  themselves  to 
bother  with  the  labor  of  seeking  for  the 
treasure  in  the  heart  of  Nippoo-san.” 

A storm  of  assents  greeted  this  proposal. 
There  was  much  wagging  of  heads  and  re- 
peated grunts  of  approval.  It  was  evident 
that  Kat-see  had  made  quite  a hit.  The 
young  foreign  devils  were  to  dig  the  treasure 
out  of  Nippoo-san,  and  all  for  them. 

Margaret  almost  betrayed  herself  in  her  ex- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  173 

citement.  Wilbur  and  Arthur,  neither  one  of 
whom,  she  was  quite  sure,  had  ever  handled 
pick  or  shovel  for  more  than  an  hour  or  so  at 
a time,  who  in  short  knew  nothing  of  hard 
physical  labor,  were  to  be  put  to  the  severe 
task  of  digging  for  gold  in  the  rocky  heart  of 
Nippoo-san.  She  remembered  now  how  Myo 
had  told  them  that  a tunnel  had  been  started 
from  the  brow  of  the  hill  by  some  people  of  a 
near  by  village,  but  abandoned  when  it  was 
discovered  what  hard  work  it  was.  Now  Wil- 
bur and  Arthur  were  to  be  set  to  this  task  and 
made  to  keep  at  it  from  early  morning  till  set 
of  sun. 

Suddenly  Kat-see  paused,  and,  addressing 
some  words  to  two  men  standing  near,  which 
Margaret  did  not  hear,  waved  his  hand  in  the 
direction  of  an  inner  apartment. 

Margaret  did  not  note  this  movement  either, 
as  she  dared  not  raise  her  head  sufficiently  to 
look  at  Kat-see.  She  was  merely  standing  and 
listening  to  him.  Attracted  now  by  a strange 
commotion  within  the  room  and  by  the  sound 
of  a voice,  then  of  voices  that  made  her  heart 
give  a sudden  bound  as  though  it  would  jump 
out  of  her  throat,  Margaret  stepped  back 


*74  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

within  the  shadow  and  raised  her  head  cau- 
tiously. 

There  in  the  centre  of  the  room  stood  Wil- 
bur and  Arthur.  She  could  see  them  plainly, 
as  nearly  all  the  Koreans  were  squatting  upon 
the  floor.  How  pale  and  dejected  the  poor 
fellows  looked,  and  how  Margaret’s  heart 
ached  for  them.  Truly  had  they  paid  dear 
for  any  boyish  folly  of  which  they  had  been 
guilty.  That  they  had  wilfully  committed  a 
wrong,  Margaret  still  would  not  believe. 

The  boys  were  questioned  as  to  their  be- 
havior of  four  days  before,  and  Margaret’s 
heart  gave  a bound  of  joy  when  she  heard 
each  disclaim  with  manly  air  any  intention  to 
do  harm  to  the  mirioks.  The  breaking  of  the 
post  had  been  merely  an  accident. 

Evidently  the  men  squatting  about  did  not 
believe  them.  Scowls  were  on  the  faces  that 
every  now  and  then  peered  around  at  the  two 
youths. 

Kat-see  proceeded  to  acquaint  the  two  boys 
with  the  decision  of  the  conference.  For  one 
brief  instant  each  bowed  his  head  as  though 
overcome,  but  the  next  it  was  raised  proudly, 
and  no  young  soldier  could  have  borne  him- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  175 

self  with  a braver  air  than  was  in  the  carriage 
and  poise  of  the  head  of  each  lad  as  he  left 
the  room.  Yet  as  Arthur  passed  in  front  of 
the  opening  near  which  Margaret  stood,  he 
looked  out  for  one  brief  moment,  and  she 
alone  saw  the  sudden  despair  in  his  eyes,  the 
quivering  of  his  lips. 

Margaret  had  accomplished  her  purpose. 
She  had  found  where  the  boys  were  confined. 
They  were  in  the  house  of  Kat-see,  doubtless 
brought  here  for  the  purpose  of  going  through 
the  farce  of  appearing  before  the  conference 
in  their  own  behalf.  But  now  she  was  so  near 
them  she  couldn’t  bear  to  go  back  without 
trying  to  speak  to  the  boys,  and  let  them 
know  that  help  would  be  brought  to  them. 

Margaret  had  noted  carefully  the  direction 
taken  by  those  who  had  the  boys  under  guard. 
She  had  seen  them  pass  through  an  opening 
into  an  adjoining  apartment,  and  now  had  a 
clear  idea  as  to  its  situation.  Her  knowledge 
of  the  appointments  of  Korean  homes  was 
such  that  she  knew  the  men’s  apartments 
were  always  at  the  front,  while  women  and 
girls  occupied  the  rear  of  the  premises. 
Therefore  she  was  almost  sure  that  Wilbur 


176  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

and  Arthur  had  been  carried  no  further  than 
the  apartment  which  lay  immediately  behind 
the  right  hand  one  of  the  two  apartments  in 
which  the  men  were  now  gathered. 

Slowly  Margaret  moved  away  from  the 
front  of  the  house.  Nearly  all  the  men  had 
gone  within  on  the  appearance  of  Wilbur  and 
Arthur,  being  eager  to  hear  what  they  had  to 
say.  Only  two  or  three  were  squatting  about 
on  the  grass,  and  these  paid  little  heed  to 
Margaret  as  she  stole  cautiously  away  toward 
the  side  of  the  house. 

Margaret’s  great  fear  now  was  of  dogs.  If 
they  discovered  her,  they  might  bark  and  thus 
betray  her  movements  ere  her  design  was  more 
than  begun.  But  she  need  not  have  been 
afraid,  for  Kat-see,  out  of  consideration  for  the 
feelings  of  his  guests,  had  had  his  dogs  safely 
shut  up  for  this  evening. 

Margaret  picked  her  way  cautiously. 
Though  the  moon  was  still  shining  brightly 
at  the  times  it  came  out  from  behind  the 
clouds,  the  shrubbery  was  thick  and  in  the 
shadows  cast  beneath  the  objects  were  not  very 
distinctly  seen.  Once  Margaret  almost  ran 
upon  a servant  busy  with  some  task,  but 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  177 

fortunately  drew  back  ere  she  was  discov- 
ered. 

Margaret  was  sure  now  she  was  near  the 
outside  wall  of  the  room.  She  could  hear 
considerable  noise  within  as  of  several  Ko- 
reans busily  eating.  The  next  moment  she 
caught  plainly  a command  that  caused  her 
heart  to  beat  more  quickly.  It  was  addressed 
to  the  boys,  informing  them  that  if  they  did 
not  condescend  to  eat  what  was  tossed  to  them, 
they  would  get  nothing. 

Even  more  distinctly  than  the  command 
she  caught  Arthur’s  words  as  he  replied  that 
they  did  not  propose  to  be  fed  like  dogs  : they 
would  starve  first. 

Margaret  almost  betrayed  herself  by  an  ex- 
clamation. How  near  Arthur’s  voice  sounded ! 
how  close,  too,  it  was  to  the  ground.  Why,  he 
must  be  lying  on  the  floor  of  the  room  right 
up  against  the  wall. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


music's  entrancing  power 

Suddenly  Margaret's  eye  caught  a glimmer 
of  light  upon  a branch  of  the  syringa  bush 
near  which  she  stood.  It  was  like  a tiny  star 
twinkling  there.  Of  course,  it  came  from  the 
room,  which,  to  all  appearances,  had  every 
window  shut  hard  and  fast. 

Margaret  pressed  nearer,  running  her  fingers 
carefully  along  the  wall.  To  her  joy  she  dis- 
covered that  a bit  of  the  plastering  had  fallen 
away,  and  that  she  could  see  straight  into  the 
room  through  the  splints  of  bamboo.  There 
were  Arthur  and  Wilbur,  both  plainly  to  be 
seen,  and  Arthur,  sure  enough,  was  stretched 
out  upon  a mat  tying  close  against  the  wall. 
Near  by  on  another  mat  was  Wilbur,  but  he 
was  sitting  up,  his  head  bowed  dejectedly  upon 
his  hands. 

Over  in  one  corner,  not  far  from  the  door 
by  which  they  had  entered  from  the  front 
apartments,  three  men  were  squatting  about 
as  many  little  tables,  and  evidently  enjoying 

178 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  179 

to  its  fullest  extent  a repast,  which  for  some 
reason  had  been  served  late.  They  were 
smacking  their  lips  at  a great  rate  and  talking 
loudly  to  each  other.  Margaret  was  thankful 
for  this  noise.  She  slowly  moved  along  the 
wall  till  she  was  sure  she  was  at  that  portion 
of  it  against  which  Arthur  lay. 

“ Arthur,”  she  called  cautiously,  “ Arthur  ! 
It  is  Margaret.  If  you  hear  me,  don’t  make 
any  exclamation.” 

She  was  too  late,  however,  with  this  caution. 
Arthur  exclaimed  sharply,  though  fortunately 
not  very  loudly.  The  next  instant  he  spoke 
in  a voice  somewhat  smothered  in  his  effort  to 
obey  her  injunction  to  be  cautious. 

“ Margaret ! How  did  you  ever  get  here  ? ” 

He  had  now  rolled  over  so  that  his  face  was 
toward  the  wall.  Fortunately,  the  men,  busy 
with  their  meal,  paid  no  heed  to  him.  The 
boys  were  safe  here  for  the  time  being,  the 
guards  were  sure.  At  midnight  they  would 
be  escorted  back  to  their  more  secure 
prison. 

“ Arthur,”  spoke  Margaret  again,  and  using 
the  same  cautious  tones,  “ if  Wilbur  hears  us, 
try  to  tell  him  as  quickly  as  you  can,  so  that 


180  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


he  will  not  arouse  the  suspicion  of  the  guards 
by  his  actions.” 

“ I think  there  is  no  prospect  that  he  will 
hear  us,  Margaret,  especially  so  long  as  we  use 
our  present  low  tones  and  the  guards  are  mak- 
ing such  a noise.” 

“ Bless  the  guards ! ” ejaculated  Margaret, 
“ for  giving  me  this  chance.  Do  you  think 
they  will  be  much  longer  at  the  meal,  Ar- 
thur?” 

“ At  least  twenty  minutes  or  more.  They 
have  only  begun.” 

“ Get  as  near  to  the  wall  as  you  can,  Arthur, 
and  press  your  ear  against  it.” 

“ All  right,  but  are  you  alone?  ” asked  Ar- 
thur anxiously.  “ I have  heard  no  other 
voice  as  yet.” 

Margaret  answered  evasively.  It  would 
never  do  to  let  Arthur  know  that  she  was 
here  alone  in  the  midst  of  these  dangers  and 
at  this  hour  of  the  night.  He  might  do 
something  rash  to  get  to  her.  So,  she  has- 
tened to  add, 

“ Now,  Arthur,  don’t  worry  about  me.  I 
have  sufficient  protection.  I am  in  capital 
disguise.  Do  you  remember  the  mourning 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  181 

costume  father  brought  along?  Well,  I am 
in  that,  and  I have  been  among  scores  of 
Koreans  to-night  and  not  one  has  detected  me.” 

Arthur  came  dangerously  near  to  whistling 
out  in  his  amazement.  He  checked  himself 
barely  in  time. 

“ Well,  Meg,  if  you  aren’t  a trump ! ” he 
whispered. 

“Now  listen  closely  to  me,  Arthur,”  con- 
tinued Margaret  in  somewhat  rapid  tones. 
Truth  to  tell,  Margaret  was  growing  not  a lit- 
tle nervous.  But  a great  plan  was  coming  to 
her — a plan  that  might  save  the  boys.  “ I 
have  Min’s  big  carving  knife,”  she  said.  “ I 
am  going  to  work  it  beneath  the  wall  right  at 
the  point  where  the  latter  joins  the  floor.  As 
soon  as  you  see  the  blade,  help  me  all  you 
can  to  get  it  through  without  letting  them 
see  you. 

“ When  you  have  it,”  went  on  Margaret, 
“ be  sure  you  hide  it  well  until  the  time  comes 
to  use  it. 

“ Have  you  the  knife  ? ” was  asked  anx- 
iously some  moments  later. 

“Yes,  and  safely  hidden,”  came  the  quick 
reply. 


182  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Well,  now  listen.  When  you  see  the 

guards  hastily  leave  the  room ” 

As  if  they  would  do  that.” 

“ But  they  will  do  it  very  soon,  I hope. 
When  you  hear,  you  will  understand.  Now 
when  you  see  the  guards  go  out  of  the  room,” 
repeated  Margaret,  “ you  must  make  haste  to 
tell  Wilbur  of  the  chance  to  escape.  So 
soon  as  you  are  convinced  that  no  one  is  look- 
ing, go  to  the  window  and  cut  the  fas- 
tenings. Then  jump  out  and  make  your  way 
through  the  shrubbery  to  the  back  of  the 
garden,  and  run  as  fast  as  you  can  to  the 
sampan.  But  don’t,  under  any  circumstances, 
attempt  to  escape  by  way  of  the  front ; you 
understand  me,  don’t  you  ? ” 

“ Yes.  But,  Meg,  what  are  you  going  to 
do?  What  is  to  become  of  you  in  the  mean- 
time ? ” 

“ I shall  be  safe  enough,”  came  the  brave 
response,  “ and  if  you  do  not  mind,  I shall 
beat  you  to  the  sampan.  Now,  Arthur, 
please,  please  do  just  as  I have  said,  and  don’t 
stop  for  me  or  anything.” 

Margaret  had  barely  arisen  when  she  was 
startled  to  see  a woman  approaching  through 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  183 

the  shrubbery  from  the  rear  of  the  premises. 
Margaret  tried  to  conceal  herself  within  the 
shadow  of  the  wall,  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
woman  had  seen  her  and  gave  a stifled 
scream.  She  evidently  had  not  expected  to 
find  a man  prowling  about  this  portion  of  the 
premises.  The  first  cry  would  no  doubt  have 
been  followed  by  a louder  and  more  prolonged 
one,  but  for  the  instant  action  of  Margaret. 

She  drew  the  guitar  from  its  hiding-place, 
and  swept  her  fingers  across  the  strings  in  a 
chord  of  melody,  stepping  at  the  same  time 
fully  into  the  moonlight,  where  her  gray 
gown  and  mourning  hat  could  at  once  be 
distinguished. 

The  woman  gazed  astonished.  She  no 
longer  had  the  desire  to  summon  those  who 
would  eject  the  intruder.  The  sweet  notes  of 
the  music  had  caught  her  ear  and  now  her 
heart.  She  was  listening  as  one  entranced. 
Besides,  she  had  noted  the  mourning  garb, 
and  respect  for  it  helped  to  prevent  further 
outcry. 

Slowly  Margaret  moved  away,  playing  as 
she  went,  soft,  low  notes  of  melody  which 
took  on  louder  and  fuller  tone  as  she  neared 


184  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


again  the  front  of  the  premises.  The  woman 
followed  her  as  far  as  she  dared,  pausing  at 
last  under  a clump  of  shrubbery  almost 
within  the  light  that  fell  from  a window  of 
the  men’s  apartment. 

Louder  grew  Margaret’s  music  ; more  vig- 
orous the  spirit  she  threw  into  it,  until  it  be- 
came a tinkling  flow  of  melody  that  reached 
with  full  volume  the  ears  of  the  men  in 
Kat-see’s  apartments.  There  were  many 
quick  exclamations,  and  a hurried  rising  of 
numerous  squatting  forms.  With  one  accord 
they  hastened  to  the  doorway,  then  out  into 
the  yard. 

Protected  by  an  overhanging  bush,  Mar- 
garet threw  her  head  up  long  enough  to  note 
the  effect  of  the  music  and  to  see  them  com- 
ing. She  had  placed  herself  where  she  could 
look  into  the  apartment  whenever  she  chose 
to  run  the  risk  of  raising  her  face.  This  first 
view,  however,  did  not  show  her  what  she 
most  desired  to  see,  but  the  second  glance  did. 
The  notes  of  the  music  had  reached  the  room 
where  Wilbur  and  Arthur  were  confined.  The 
guards  had  risen  hastily  to  come  and  see  what 
it  could  mean.  Margaret  saw  them  plainly 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  185 

as  they  came  through  the  inner  doorway. 
She  knew  them  by  their  bare  heads  and  by 
the  trimmings  of  red  on  their  blouses.  She 
dropped  her  head  again,  feeling  as  though 
she  could  cry  aloud  in  her  thankfulness. 

But  she  was  not  yet  assured.  Might  they 
not  quickly  remember  their  trust  and  return 
to  the  room  ? More  and  more  alluring  grew 
the  music  under  Margaret’s  skilled  fingers. 
It  was  as  though  she  were  putting  all  her 
power  of  persuasion  into  it  in  order  to  draw 
those  grim  guardians  further  and  further 
away  from  their  charge.  When  she  dared 
look  again  they  were  in  the  outer  doorway  ; 
and  then  for  the  first  time  Margaret  felt  that 
she  had  conquered. 

The  Korean’s  love  for  music  is  well-nigh 
universal.  Scarce  can  one  be  found  whose 
soul  is  not  responsive  to  it.  Margaret’s 
knowledge  of  this  had  enabled  her  to  arm 
herself  with  the  strongest  weapon  of  con- 
quest she  could  have  chosen,  the  sweet-voiced 
guitar. 

They  swayed  to  and  fro  around  her,  their 
bodies  keeping  time  to  the  rhythm.  There 
was  a chill  of  terror  at  her  heart  every  time 


j 86  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


she  thought  of  the  possibility  of  her  hat’s 
being  knocked  off. 

The  greater  part  of  the  throng,  however, 
kept  at  a respectful  distance.  They  still  re- 
membered the  consideration  due  her  mourn- 
ing costume.  It  was  only  the  few  carried 
away  by  enthusiasm  for  the  music  who  pressed 
up  nearer  to  her.  They  had,  too,  consuming 
curiosity  to  take  a closer  look  upon  the  instru- 
ment whence  issued  these  entrancing  sounds. 
Yet  these  few  made  Margaret  nervous,  and 
kept  her  on  the  strain  of  watching  them 
closely.  At  any  moment  one  overcome  by 
curiosity  might  bend  down  and  peer  up  under 
her  hat ; then — but  Margaret  would  not  per- 
mit herself  to  think  of  that. 

Air  after  air  the  young  musician  played 
with  all  the  fervor  and  skill  she  could  com- 
mand, pausing  only  long  enough  between 
each  one  to  give  arm  and  shoulder  a short 
rest  from  their  strain.  During  the  pauses 
she  could  hear  comments  of  a varied  na- 
ture passed  from  one  squatting  figure  to  an- 
other. 

“ He  plays  as  though  the  spirits  dwelt  with 
him.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  187 

“ Tis  no  doubt  the  spirit  of  an  ancestor 
who  was  a great  musician.” 

“ I have  not  heard  one  in  Seoul  play  as  this 
one  does,  nor  seen  so  wonderful  an  instru- 
ment.” 

“ Truly  the  demons  are  not  so  angry  with 
him,  or  they  would  drive  away  the  sweet- 
voiced spirits.” 

“ This  is  no  doubt  why  the  music  has  no 
doleful  air.  He  had  done  nothing  to  deserve 
the  punishment  the  gods  of  mourning  have 
inflicted.” 

In  her  anxiety  to  catch  and  hold  their  at- 
tention, Margaret  had  not  remembered  that 
as  a mourner,  her  music  ought  not  to  be  lively 
and  gay.  Now  as  she  caught  these  expres- 
sions she  realized  that  but  for  the  spell  of 
her  music  she  might  have  made  a fatal  mis- 
take. 

Minute  by  minute  sped  on.  It  was  surely 
ten  now,  fifteen,  twenty.  Wilbur  and  Arthur 
had  had  ample  time  to  escape,  even  to  get 
beyond  pursuit.  During  the  intervals,  when 
she  had  stopped  to  gain  the  moments  of  rest 
necessary,  she  had  strained  her  ears  to  catch 
any  sounds  of  commotion.  So  far,  there  had 


188  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

been  none.  The  guards  were  still  squatting 
about  the  doorway,  leaning  partly  out  of  it  in 
their  intense  desire  to  lose  no  strain  of  the 
music.  If  any  one  of  those  in  authority 
noticed  them,  there  was  no  sign  of  ordering 
them  back  to  duty.  The  indications  were 
that  the  thrall  of  the  music  had  completely 
banished  for  the  time  being  all  thought  of 
the  boys.  The  women  and  girls,  too,  had 
abandoned  their  quarters  and  were  now  hang- 
ing about  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  front 
apartments,  all  under  the  wonderful  spell  of 
the  music. 

Suddenly  Margaret’s  music  changed  to  low, 
mournful  notes.  She  bowed  her  head  still 
lower  over  the  instrument.  Her  body  swayed 
as  one  in  the  throes  of  painful  recollection. 
But  this  was  not  all  acting  on  Margaret’s 
part.  She  was  exhausted  in  body  and  anx- 
ious in  mind.  The  strain  was  telling  upon 
her  nerves. 

With  the  same  mournful  air  she  returned 
the  guitar  to  its  case.  Those  about  her  began 
to  move  further  back.  The  others  who  were 
squatting  around  in  a little  circle  got  up.  The 
grief  of  the  mourner  had  now  returned  in 

o 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  189 

full  force  to  the  player,  they  realized.  He 
must  again  be  on  his  sad  way,  wandering 
aimlessly  to  and  fro,  devoid  of  pursuit,  denied 
intercourse  with  his  fellow  men,  and  all  be- 
cause the  gods  were  yet  angry  with  him. 

Respectfully  they  stood  aside  to  let  her 
pass,  all  but  one,  and  this  one,  to  Margaret’s 
uneasiness,  showed  no  disposition  to  leave  her. 
Indeed,  as  she  walked  slowly  onward  toward 
the  opening  in  the  bamboo  palings,  he  fol- 
lowed her.  Margaret  could  see  his  gown 
moving  along  beside  her  own  and  but  a few 
inches  apart.  As  she  passed  into  the  open 
pathway  beyond  the  gate,  he  turned  suddenly 
and  clutched  her  sleeve.  Margaret’s  heart 
gave  a bound  like  a frightened  deer’s  when 
the  hounds  are  about  to  leap  upon  it.  What 
was  about  to  happen  ? After  all  that  brave 
struggle,  when  victory  seemed  almost  assured, 
was  it  really  discovery  that  awaited  ? 

Instinctively  she  drew  away  from  the  man’s 
touch.  He  noted  the  movement,  and  then,  to 
her  inexpressible  joy,  he  spoke  an  humble 
apology,  and  as  though  he  addressed  one  of 
his  own  race. 

With  faster  step  Margaret  moved  on,  for  the 


190  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

moment  forgetting  the  part  she  was  playing. 
Her  one  desire  now  was  to  reach  the  sampan. 
Perhaps  she  had  already  delayed  too  long. 
At  any  moment  the  hue  and  cry  over  the 
escape  of  the  boys  might  be  raised.  If  they 
failed  to  get  off  with  the  sampan  ere  an  angry 
crowd  reached  the  banks,  then  this  last  state 
of  affairs  would  no  doubt  be  worse  than  the  first. 

Faster  and  faster  grew  Margaret’s  steps,  yet 
the  man  kept  beside  her.  She  had  purposely 
refrained  from  walking  along  the  pathway, 
not  caring  to  encounter  the  groups  of  men  re- 
turning from  Kat-see’s. 

Suddenly  the  man  began  to  mutter,  and 
Margaret’s  chilly  sensation  considerably  in- 
creased. She  caught  a sentence  now  and  then. 
He  was  asking  pardon  of  and  invoking  the 
aid  of  some  one  of  the  many  gods  and  demons 
worshiped  by  his  people.  Was  his  mind  af- 
fected ? Had  the  music  turned  his  head  ? 
Verily  this  last  seemed  to  be  the  case,  for  he 
now  seized  her  sleeve  again  and  pointed  to  the 
guitar  which  she  was  carrying  in  its  green 
baize  bag.  He  appeared  determined  to  ad- 
dress her  to  the  full  extent  desired,  despite 
her  mourning  garb,  to  relieve  his  mind  of 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  191 


what  was  burdening  it.  In  a little  while  his 
real  desire  was  apparent  to  Margaret.  There 
was  one  for  whom  he  wanted  her  to  play,  one 
upon  whom  the  demons  had  been  very  hard 
of  late,  tormenting  him  in  many  ways.  If 
she  would  only  come  and  play  for  him,  it 
would  surely  drive  away  the  spell  of  evil. 
This  one  was  his  father. 

There  seemed  nothing  else  but  for  Margaret 
to  comply,  since  the  man  had  her  sleeve  in  a 
tight  clutch  and  was  already  urging  her  in 
the  direction  he  wished  her  to  take.  Marga- 
ret tried  to  release  herself,  but  in  vain.  Fear- 
ing that  if  she  struggled  more  forcefully  with 
him  her  hat  would  slip  off,  Margaret  yielded 
with  what  grace  she  could  to  the  inevitable. 
She  was  now  in  an  agony  of  suspense,  listen- 
ing for  those  telltale  sounds.  Her  wonder 
was  great  that  she  had  not  already  caught 
them.  Had  the  boys  failed  after  all  to  make 
their  escape  ? 

The  man  drew  her  persistently  on,  till, 
when  a little  more  than  midway  of  the  town, 
he  pulled  her  suddenly  to  one  side,  and  she 
could  see  that  they  were  entering  another 
gateway  very  similar  to  that  at  Kat-see’s. 


192  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

The  dwelling,  too,  which  they  now  approached 
was  almost  as  pretentious  as  that  of  the  ex- 
magistrate. Two  men  were  within  the  front 
apartment.  They  were  talking  earnestly,  and 
from  their  tones  there  seemed  to  be  a great 
weight  upon  the  mind  of  each.  One,  at  the 
very  moment  Margaret  reached  the  doorway 
was  bemoaning  some  dread  happening  that 
seemed  imminent.  Something  in  the  tones 
of  this  voice  caused  Margaret’s  heart  to  go  a 
little  faster ; so,  too,  did  a peculiar  mark  on 
the  sandals  near  by  which  he  had  removed 
from  his  feet.  It  really  needed  not  that  side- 
wise,  cautious  glance  to  convince  Margaret. 
The  man  was  Myo-Sang. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


Margaret’s  startling  discovery 

Should  she  run  or  stand  her  ground  ? This 
was  the  supreme  question  of  the  moment  in 
Margaret’s  mind.  Ere  she  could  answer  it  to 
her  satisfaction,  the  privilege  of  decision  was 
taken  away  from  her.  The  young  man 
grasped  her  sleeve  still  more  firmly,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  made  vehement  gesture  to- 
ward the  guitar. 

“ Play  ! play  ! ” he  begged.  “ Drive  the 
evil  spirits  away  ! ” 

Furthermore,  at  that  moment  she  felt  her- 
self propelled  forward  until,  despite  her  ef- 
forts, she  was  within  the  room. 

As  Margaret  threw  her  head  up  to  recover 
her  balance  she  had  a view  of  the  other  man’s 
face.  Where  had  she  seen  it  ? It  looked  de- 
cidedly familiar.  Fortunately,  he  did  not 
gain  a view  of  her  own  face.  He  was  too  in- 
tently staring  at  his  son,  whose  behavior  in 
thus  familiarly,  even  roughly  treating  one  in 
mourning  garb  had  completely  astounded 

193 


194  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

him.  He  began  to  protest,  then  to  use  cen- 
sure, but  the  young  man  paid  no  heed.  He 
was  still  repeating  his  vehement  plea,  “ Play  ! 
Play ! ” 

Suddenly  Myo  turned  and  addressed  the 
older  man.  A few  sentences  were  spoken, 
urging  that  he  await  the  development  of  the 
son’s  request  of  the  mourner  to  play  upon 
his  instrument.  Ere  the  sentences  were 
finished  Myo  had  used  a name  that  made 
Margaret’s  heart  leap.  The  name  was  Pop- 
hung.  Now  she  knew  why  the  face  had 
been  familiar.  Myo’s  companion  was  none 
other  than  the  owner  of  the  junk  from  which 
they  had  purchased  the  charcoal  that  day  on 
the  river — the  man  who  had  acted  so  queerly 
at  sight  of  their  head  poleman.  Myo’s 
actions,  too,  Margaret  recalled,  had  partaken 
of  the  mysterious.  Now  here  they  were  to- 
gether, and  very  plainly  they  had  some  con- 
cern in  common. 

For  the  second  time  that  night  Margaret 
felt  that  her  nerve  would  surely  fail  her. 
With  an  unsteady  hand  she  drew  the  instru- 
ment from  its  green  baize  bag,  but  no  sooner 
had  she  touched  the  strings  than  she  felt 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  195 

that  she  was  mistress  of  the  situation,  for  the 
time  being,  at  least.  She  recalled  vividly 
Myo’s  intense  love  for  music,  the  emotion  he 
displayed  whenever  she  played.  With  a 
prayer  on  her  lips  and  a sudden  flame  of 
courage  at  her  heart,  Margaret  began  to  play, 
even  as  she  had  played  before  on  this  event- 
ful night.  A hush  pervaded  the  apartment 
for  the  first  few  moments.  Then  she  could 
hear  each  man  in  turn  begin  to  murmur  to 
himself,  the  muttered  words  growing  louder 
and  louder  as  the  music  proceeded.  Marga- 
ret purposely  gave  herself  a rest  between 
certain  of  the  bars  that  she  might  hear  more 
clearly. 

Deeper  and  deeper  grew  the  spell  of  the 
music  and  more  pronounced  the  actions  of 
the  men.  Myo  had  risen  and  was  walk- 
ing restlessly  about.  Pop-hung  had  reached 
for  certain  little  bags  of  rice  and  wisps  of 
straw  that  hung  from  the  rafters,  and  was 
fingering  them  and  talking  to  himself  and  to 
Myo,  in  turn,  in  a most  excited  manner. 
Such  portions  of  the  sentences  as  Margaret 
could  catch  had  reference  to  something  in 
which  both  the  men  had  been  engaged,  a 


196  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


something  not  at  all  to  the  credit  of  either 
one.  Ever  since  this  happening  the  spirits 
had  been  angry  with  them,  and  had  shown 
their  anger  by  visiting  them  with  all  manner 
of  bad  luck.  Now  if  the  spell  of  this  spirit 
of  wondrous  and  beautiful  music  could  drive 
the  demons  from  their  plans  of  evil,  what  joy 
would  fill  the  hearts  of  the  twain  ! and  deep, 
indeed,  would  be  their  gratitude  to  the 
mourning  stranger. 

In  one  of  the  pauses  of  the  music  Marga- 
ret moved  a little  further  away  from  Myo, 
who  in  the  path  he  was  pursuing  back  and 
forth  across  the  floor,  passed  too  near  her  to 
suit  Margaret.  As  she  drew  nearer  the  wall, 
Margaret  became  conscious  that  her  left 
elbow  was  brushing  some  object  that  rested 
upon  the  floor  like  the  slender  leg  of  a table, 
yet  that  slanted  upward  in  a manner  that  in- 
dicated an  object  of  a different  character. 
Furniture,  beyond  the  foot  and  a half  high 
dining- tables,  was  so  rare  a thing  in  Korean 
homes  that  Margaret,  in  the  next  pause  of  the 
music,  glanced  upward  so  far  as  she  dared, 
curious  to  see  what  the  unusual  piece  of 
furniture  could  be. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  197 

“A  porter’s  frame/’  she  said  to  herself, 
after  the  first  hasty  examination. 

Yet  this  decision  did  not  satisfy  her.  A 
porter’s  frame  was  a much  more  clumsy  look- 
ing article,  and  it  had  more  woodwork  about 
it.  Curiosity  led  Margaret  to  look  again  as 
she  had  opportunity,  and  more  closely  now. 
A smothered  exclamation  escaped  her  as  she 
made  this  second  examination.  But  for  the 
preoccupation  of  the  men  about  her,  they 
must  have  noted  it.  Not  only  did  Margaret 
give  vent  to  this  exclamation,  but  her  heart 
almost  stood  still ; then  it  went  to  beating 
again  furiously. 

The  object  that  had  engaged  her  attention 
was  unmistakably  an  artist’s  easel ! despite 
the  fact  that  its  outlines  were  somewhat  dis- 
figured by  innumerable  charms  of  straw, 
heads  of  rice,  bits  of  broken  pottery  and  the 
like  that  were  hanging  to  it. 

An  artist’s  easel ! Margaret  almost  dropped 
the  guitar  as  the  realization  came  to  her. 
What  other  artist,  of  whom  they  had  heard, 
save  Mr.  Walter  had  ever  been  along  this 
Han  River  section  with  paint  tubes  and 
easel  ? There  might  have  been  one  or  more 


198  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

with  sketch  book  and  pencils ; but  he  had 
essayed  a much  more  elaborate  equipment. 
His  heart  had  been  set  on  reproducing  some 
of  the  glorious  Han  River  and  Diamond 
Mountain  scenery  in  the  colors  Nature  gave 
it.  How  well  Margaret  remembered  the  day 
he  had  set  off  from  Seoul  on  that  last 
journey ! the  one  from  which  he  had  never 
returned.  He  had  bought  and  equipped  the 
sampan  himself.  It  had  been  fashioned  after 
a plan  of  his  own.  Old  boatmen  had  warned 
him  that  she  was  of  too  light  a build  for  the 
more  dangerous  shoals  and  rapids.  But  he 
was  in  love  with  his  gay  little  craft  and 
would  exchange  her  for  no  other,  especially 
since  she  had  already  received  her  christen- 
ing, at  which  hands  fairer  than  his  own  had 
officiated.  There  was  no  craft  on  all  the 
Han,  he  had  enthusiastically  declared,  that 
could  compete  with  the  Philippa.  She  was 
small,  it  was  true,  but  she  was  staunch,  and 
she  had  an  airy  grace  that  would  carry  her 
through  the  currents  with  the  ease  a duck 
would  go.  So  away  he  had  sailed  gaily,  with 
many  a handkerchief  waving  him  an  adieu 
from  the  bank,  many  a fervent  “ Godspeed  ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  199 

sent  after  him,  and  with  the  pennant  of  the 
Philippa  curling  proudly  from  the  staff  he 
had  erected  for  it  at  the  bow. 

Margaret  turned  so  that  the  next  time  she 
raised  her  head  she  would  have  a still  more 
satisfactory  view  of  the  easel.  All  this  while 
the  brave  fingers  were  bringing  chords  of 
melody  from  the  guitar.  She  was  watching, 
too,  as  well  as  she  could,  the  movements  of 
the  other  occupants  of  the  room.  There  had 
also  been  a stir  in  the  direction  of  the  women’s 
quarters,  and  after  sounds  which  gave  the 
evidence  that  their  occupants  had  pressed  as 
near  as  they  dared  to  the  outer  apartments  in 
the  desire  to  hear  the  music. 

Drawing  her  fingers  across  the  strings  in  a 
slow,  deliberate  movement  that  made  the 
notes  throb  upon  the  air  in  a lingering  ca- 
dence, Margaret  let  her  eyes  travel  slowly  up 
the  dimensions  of  the  easel  until  now  they 
had  scanned  it  from  top  to  bottom.  As  her 
gaze  went  slowly  down  again,  this  time  it  was 
arrested  by  a ^mall  silver  plate,  somewhat 
tarnished,  but  still  unmistakably  silver,  which 
was  set  into  the  easel  about  midway  of  the 
support  on  the  side  next  to  her.  Suddenly 


200  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Margaret  drew  herself  upon  her  knees.  All 
this  while  she  had  been  sitting.  Her  eyes 
were  now  much  nearer  the  plate  on  the  easel. 
Then,  as  the  great  hat  went  still  further  down 
over  the  guitar,  and  she  threw  renewed  energy 
into  the  swelling  chords  that  filled  the  little 
apartment,  Margaret’s  eyes  were  greedily  de- 
vouring the  letters  of  the  name,  the  tracings 
of  which  she  had  caught  upon  the  silver  plate. 

W.  H.  Griffin.  Yes,  there  it  was  plain 
enough  ! No  need  to  study  those  letters  one 
by  one.  The  outlines  were  distinct  enough 
when  once  she  caught  them  in  a proper  light. 
And  fortunately  the  flame  of  the  rushlight 
shone  full  upon  them. 

The  suddenness  of  it  lost  Margaret  her  com- 
posure. No  doubt  the  strain  had  told  upon 
her  to  the  extent  that  the  limit  of  her  en- 
durance was  reached. 

With  a sudden,  sharp  cry,  Margaret  clutched 
the  guitar  against  her,  and  making  straight 
for  the  doorway,  sprang  through  it  and  into 
the  yard,  ere  the  astonished  Myo,  Pop-hung 
or  the  latter’s  son  could  fully  realize  what 
had  happened.  Margaret  did  not  pause  an 
instant  after  the  outside  of  the  apartment  was 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  201 


reached,  but  went  speeding  along  the  path  to 
the  gate  and  thence  into  the  street  so  fast  as 
her  limbs  could  carry  her.  Another  moment, 
and  there  was  a commotion  in  the  room  from 
which  she  had  fled. 

“ The  spell  of  the  spirits  is  too  great ! ” 
young  Pop-hung  said  sympatheticalty. 

Pop-hung  senior  bent  over  his  rice-bags  and 
wisps  of  straw,  muttering  more  vehemently 
than  ever  and  gesticulating,  too,  most  vio- 
lently. Had  the  wretched  mourner  left  a 
spell  of  evil  instead  of  dissipating  the  one  al- 
ready there  ? 

But  Myo  neither  sat  down  again  nor  made 
comment.  Instead  he  stopped  only  long 
enough  to  recover  his  sandals,  then  he  set  off 
at  the  top  of  his  speed  after  Margaret. 

The  younger  Pop-hung  looked  aghast. 
“ Have  the  spirits  seized  hold  of  the  mind  of 
this  worthy  man  ? ” he  asked  himself.  He 
sat  for  a moment  deeply  thinking,  then  all  of 
a sudden  he  came  to  the  decision  that  he,  too, 
would  set  off  at  top  speed  in  the  direction 
taken  by  Myo  and  the  mourning  stranger. 
He  wished  to  see  j ust  how  this  queer  affair 
was  to  terminate. 


202  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


On  sped  Margaret,  the  one  desire  upper- 
most to  reach  the  sampan  in  the  quickest 
possible  time.  Apart  from  the  fear  that  lent 
her  wings,  there  was  the  spur  of  the  astonish- 
ing discovery  she  had  made.  How  intense 
was  the  desire  to  make  it  known  to  the  others. 
As  she  slackened  pace  somewhat,  to  recover 
her  breath,  there  came  a mingling  of  sounds 
that  sent  her  forward  again  with  renewed 
speed.  The  village  was  unmistakably  aroused. 
Noises  as  of  pursuit  were  very  evident,  but 
whether  the  disturbance  had  arisen  from  the 
discovery  of  Wilbur’s  and  Arthur’s  escape,  or 
had  occurred  through  her  own  flight,  she 
could  not  say.  At  any  rate,  there  came  dis- 
tinctly to  her  ears,  though  yet  at  a distance, 
the  yells  and  shouts  as  of  men  who  had  been 
outwitted  in  some  way. 

She  paused  again  to  take  breath,  and  now 
she  became  conscious  that  some  persons  were 
following  her,  and  that  the}'  were  not  far 
away.  She  could  plainly  hear  the  noise  of 
running  feet.  With  a prayer  for  help,  Mar- 
garet sprang  forward  once  more.  But  the 
strain  and  fatigue  of  the  night  had  had  their 
effect.  She  felt  her  steps  growing  heavier 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  203 

and  heavier,  her  breath  was  coming  in  gasps. 
O,  how  far  it  seemed  to  the  sampan  ! Her 
hat  came  off.  She  dared  not  stop  to  regain 
it,  for  there  almost  up  with  her  were  the 
sounds  of  those  dread  footsteps. 

Suddenly  a hand  seized  her.  “ All  is  in- 
deed lost  I ” thought  Margaret.  But  not  so. 
A voice  spoke  hurriedly  in  her  ear. 

“ Run  faster  ! ” it  urged. 

It  was  Myo ! and  instead  of  pulling  her 
back,  he  was  entreating  her  to  run  faster  in 
the  direction  of  the  sampan.  Indeed,  he  was 
helping  her  along  by  means  of  his  own  sturdy 
arm.  What  could  it  mean  ? 

* # ❖ * * * 

In  the  meantime,  Wilbur  and  Arthur  had 
made  good  their  escape  from  the  room.  It 
had  not  taken  them  long  to  sever  the  fasten- 
ings of  the  window,  which  they  had  done  as 
noiselessly  as  possible.  They  ran  upon  no 
one  at  the  rear  of  the  premises.  Thanks  to 
Kat-see’s  caution  in  behalf  of  his  friends,  not 
even  a dog  contested  their  passage  through  the 
grounds.  Once  out  of  the  grounds  they  went 
more  cautiously,  avoiding  the  main  street,  and 


204  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

all  other  streets,  so  much  as  they  could.  They 
made  the  circuit  of  the  town  in  safety. 

“ I wonder  where  Margaret  is  ? ” Arthur 
said  as  they  were  nearing  the  sampan.  “And 
who  could  have  been  with  her?  No  more 
than  one  other,  I am  sure,  else  would  they  not 
have  been  able  to  pass  muster  in  their  dis- 
guises. But  wasn’t  it  a nervy  thing  of  Meg, 
though  ? ” he  added,  his  eyes  in  a glow. 
“ Did  you  ever  before  see  such  a trump  of  a 
girl,  Wilbur,  as  Meg  is?” 

“ She  is  indeed  one  in  a thousand,”  was 
Wilbur’s  hearty  response,  while  his  own  eyes 
answered  the  glow  in  Arthur’s. 

The  two  boys  rushed  on  board  the  sampan 
with  the  velocity  of  a miniature  typhoon. 

“ Margaret ! Margaret ! ” Arthur  shouted  ; 
“ here  we  are,  you  dear  girl ! ” 

But  instead  of  either  the  appearance  of  or 
a reply  from  Margaret,  both  Mr.  Vance  and 
Dr.  Griffin  stuck  their  heads  from  the  little 
cabin,  crying  in  joyful  surprise, 

“ Why,  Arthur  ! Why,  Wilbur,  is  it  in- 
deed you?  ” 

Then  Mr.  Vance  added, 

“ But  how  did  you  get  here?  and  at  this 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  205 

hour  of  the  night?  Have  you  really  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping  from  your  prison,  and 
without  aid?  We  did  not  dream  that  you 
could  accomplish  anything  so  fortunate  as 
that.” 

“Escaping  without  aid?”  echoed  Arthur, 
and  looking  from  one  to  the  other  in  aston- 
ishment. “ Why,  of  course,  sir,  we  haven’t 
done  anything  of  the  kind.  It  was  Margaret, 
as  you  know,  who  helped  us.” 

“But  where  is  Margaret?”  asked  Wilbur 
suddenly  as  he  looked  around.  “ Has  she  not 
come  yet,  uncle,  and  who  was  with  her?  ” 

By  this  time  Stephen,  too,  had  appeared, 
and  was  looking  at  them  in  astonishment. 

“Margaret?”  repeated  Mr.  Vance.  “Mar- 
garet aiding  you  two  to  escape  ? Why,  truly 
you  boys  are  out  of  your  senses.” 

“ Margaret,”  echoed  Stephen.  “ Margaret 
in  the  village?  Oh,  say,  you  two  are  dream- 
ing ! ” 

“ No,  sir  ! ” declared  Arthur  stoutly.  “ She 
was  there,  I tell  you,  and  she  talked  to  me 
through  the  wall  of  Kat-see’s  house.  And  she 
pushed  this  knife  into  the  room  to  us  and  with 
it  we  cut  our  way  out  by  the  window.” 


2o6  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


He  held  up  the  great  carver  as  he  spoke. 
There  was  a shout  from  Min,  for  by  this  time 
all  aboard  the  boat  were  aroused.  Min  sprang 
forward  and  seized  his  knife  with  a 
“ whoope-e-e  ! ” that  awoke  the  echoes. 

“But  who  was  with  Margaret?”  cried  Ar- 
thur, a quiver  in  his  voice  as  he  looked  around 
to  see  every  familiar  face  but  hers,  for  Sarah, 
too,  pale  and  woe-begone,  had  pushed  aside 
the  curtains  of  their  little  nook  to  peep  out 
upon  the  excited  group. 

“ There  was  no  one,”  said  Stephen,  a strange 
tremor  in  his  tones. 

“ We  will  call  Margaret  to  speak  for  her- 
self,” exclaimed  Mr.  Vance. 

His  nervousness  was  now  apparent  to  all. 
Could  it,  by  any  possible  chance,  be  true  ? 

“ Margaret ! Daughter  ! ” he  cried. 

Sarah’s  cry  answered  his. 

“Are  you  two  boj^s  really  safe?  Then 
where  is  Margaret  ? She  went  to  the  village 
looking  for  you.  Oh,  where  is  Margaret?” 

That  was  sufficient. 

Mr.  Vance  had  his  answer.  He  swayed  for 
a moment,  then  steadied  himself  against  a 
support  of  the  awning.  Margaret  gone  ! 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  207 

He  turned  and  asked  a question  of  Sarah, 
then  another  and  another.  Bit  by  bit  the 
story  of  Margaret's  hazardous  plan  came  out. 
Every  hearer  stood  aghast  as  Sarah  sobbingly 
revealed  it. 

“Oh,  how  could  Margaret  have  done  it?” 
cried  Stephen. 

“ It  is  a most  astonishing  thing  for  a young 
girl  to  have  undertaken ! ” exclaimed  Dr. 
Griffin. 

“ The  girl  is  our  Margaret,  sir,”  replied 
Arthur,  as  though  this  answered  everything. 

“ We  must  go  at  once  in  search  of  her,”  de- 
clared Mr.  Vance. 

“ You  are  right,  uncle,”  said  Wilbur. 
“ We  have  delayed  too  long  already.” 

“ Let  us  start  now,”  urged  Stephen. 

“ How  could  we  have  waited  all  this 
time  ? ” cried  Arthur  remorsefully,  “ when 
every  moment  is  so  precious.” 

He  was  about  to  spring  upon  the  plank  to 
rush  ashore,  and  the  others  were  on  the  spur 
of  following,  when  there  came  the  sound  of 
swiftly  moving  feet  along  the  river  path.  The 
next  moment  three  forms  were  seen  running 
with  all  speed  toward  the  sampan.  Two  were 


208  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

in  advance,  keeping  almost  abreast,  while  the 
third  was  no  more  than  a half  dozen  yards 
behind. 

“ My ! I hope  that  is  Margaret  now ! ” 
cried  Arthur. 

“ It  is  Margaret ! ” he  added  joyfully  in  the 
next  breath  ; “for  I can  see  her  face  and  her 
hair.  But  look,  sir,”  this  to  his  father,  “ one 
of  those  men  is  helping  her  along.” 

It  was  indeed  Margaret,  for  as  Arthur 
sprang  out  upon  the  plank,  she  fell  half  faint- 
ing against  him,  thoroughly  exhausted.  He 
was  not  long  in  getting  her  aboard  the 
sampan.  To  their  astonishment  he  who  had 
been  assisting  her  in  her  flight  proved  to  be 
Myo. 

“ Push  off!”  Myo  shouted  to  the  boatmen. 
“ Don’t  waste  a moment ! ” 

Then  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  man 
who  had  so  closely  followed  them.  He  was 
none  other  than  young  Pop-hung. 

Bending  down  Myo  filled  his  hat  with 
water,  and  dashed  it  full  into  the  young 
man’s  face.  Gasping  and  sputtering,  Pop- 
hung  fell  over  into  the  stream.  This  was 
Myo’s  golden  opportunity.  While  Pop-hung 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  209 

was  splashing  and  floundering  like  a minia- 
ture whale,  Myo  dragged  the  plank  aboard. 
Then  he  seized  the  pole  from  Chefoo’s  hand 
and  sent  the  sampan  gliding  with  the  swift 
and  graceful  movement  of  a swan  into  deeper 
water. 

He  was  none  too  soon,  for  they  were  no 
more  than  a dozen  yards  from  shore,  when 
other  forms  appeared  upon  the  bank  they  had 
just  quitted.  Quickly  were  they  joined  by 
others,  till  it  seemed  that  half  the  village 
must  be  gathered  there.  And  now  broke 
forth  a pandemonium  of  sounds,  cries,  yells, 
and  hoarsely  shouted  threats.  But  for  the 
fact  that  the  sampan  was  beyond  the  centre 
of  the  river,  and  between  it  and  the  shore  so 
recently  quitted  a deep  channel  ran,  they 
would  assuredly  have  been  followed. 

“ Fire  a gun ! ” cried  Myo  to  Arthur. 
“ Fire  in  the  air ! one  ! two ! three  times  ! ” 
and  though  wondering  greatly  as  to  Myo;s 
sudden  hostile  attitude  toward  these,  his  own 
people,  Arthur  obeyed. 


CHAPTER  XV 


THE  FLAG  OF  THE  PHILIPPA 

“ Well,  that  is  what  I call  a close  shave  ! ” 
said  Arthur,  as  soon  as  he  could  get  his 
breath. 

“ But  how  did  you  deceive  them  so  long, 
Arthur  ?”  asked  Margaret.  “ It  was  such  a 
long  time  before  they  found  out  you  had 
gone.” 

“ Oh,  that  was  Wilbur’s  idea.  We  rigged 
up  a couple  of  dummy  figures,  under  a cloak 
of  Kat-see’s,  and  they  no  doubt  thought  we 
were  asleep.” 

“ Well,”  said  his  sister,  “ it  was  lucky  for 
me.  But  I think  we  owe  a good  deal  to  Myo, 
too.” 

“ So  we  do,”  said  Arthur  heartily,  and  he 
turned  and  shook  warmly  the  hand  of  the 
poleman. 

Myo  looked  pleased,  and  quickly  murmured 
his  appreciation  of  Arthur’s  hearty  words. 

Mr.  Vance  also  spoke  to  the  chief  boatman. 
He,  too,  had  words  of  praise,  but  so  soon  as 


210 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  211 

these  were  spoken,  he  began  to  question  Myo 
a little  anxiously. 

“ Is  it  safe  to  proceed  up  the  river  at 
night  ? ” 

“ It  will  be  so  for  three  or  more  miles,  hon- 
orable sir.  There  are  no  bad  rapids  near  by.” 
“ But  the  moon  will  soon  be  down.  How 
then,  can  you  see  your  course  ? ” 

“ The  moon,  most  worthy  master,  will  last 
long  enough  for  the  sampan  to  be  carried  to  a 
point  on  the  opposite  shore,  about  five  miles 
away.  A village  is  near  by,  and  there  we  will 
tie  up  till  the  daylight  comes.” 

“ But  will  not  those  people,”  pointing  back- 
ward, “ find  us  out  and  trouble  us  there  ? ” 

“ I think  not,  honorable  sir.  They  are  not 
likely  to  go  to  the  bother  of  it.  Besides, 
there  are  demons  on  the  river  at  night  which 
they  will  not  care  to  encounter.” 

Myo  said  this  in  a hushed  voice,  as  though 
he  did  not  himself  feel  altogether  easy  about 
the  demons. 

“ I noticed  but  few  sampans  about  the 
village,”  spoke  Wilbur  reassuringly,  “ and 
the  most  of  those  were  rotting  and  were  half 
sunken.” 


212  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Besides,  those  shots  which  Myo  made  me 
fire/7  said  Arthur,  “ will,  I am  sure,  have  a 
wholesome  effect.” 

Margaret  had  now  recovered  from  her  ex- 
haustion, and  was  sitting  with  Sarah’s  arm 
about  her,  replying  as  fast  as  she  could  to  an 
avalanche  of  questions.  Soon  the  story  of  the 
brave  girl’s  deeds  and  experiences  of  the 
night  was  out  entire,  with  the  exception  of 
one  incident.  This  Margaret  was  reserv- 
ing. 

“ And  now,  my  boy,”  said  Mr.  Vance,  “tell 
us  how  you  and  Wilbur  happened  to  get  into 
this  trouble.  Is  it  true  that  you  knocked 
over  one  of  the  mirioks  ? ” 

“ Yes,  father,  it  is.” 

“ But  it  was  through  some  accident,  per- 
haps. I am  sure  you  could  not  be  so  thought- 
less, so  rash,  as  to ” 

“No,  indeed  father,”  Arthur  assured  him 
as  Mr.  Vance  paused,  “ we  had  no  intention  of 
doing  any  harm.”  Arthur  glanced  quickly 
at  Wilbur,  and  then  at  Dr.  Griffin.  “ I — we,” 
he  began  again — “ we  have  something  to  tell 
you,  sir,”  he  said  to  the  latter.  “ When  we 
first  saw  the  mirioks  and  totem  poles  we  both 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  213 

laughed  because  they  really  looked  so  ridicu- 
lous. I am  afraid  that  was  thoughtless,  and 
it  probably  started  the  trouble,  too,  for  the 
people  looked  angry.  But  I really  didn’t 
pay  much  attention  to  them,  for  just  then 
I saw  something  waving  from  one  of  the 
mirioks.  I started  toward  it  at  once,  and 
Wilbur  after  me.  He  had  seen  it  just  when 
I did.  I reached  it  first,  and  grabbed  it,  but 
Wilbur  grabbed  for  it,  too,  and  as  we  were 
struggling  for  it  good-naturedly  and  laughing 
over  it  we  must  have  pushed  against  the 
pole.  I suppose  it  was  rotten,  for  it  went 
right  over  before  we  knew  we  had  touched 
it,  and  then  they  pounced  on  us,  and  hustled 
us  off.” 

“ But  what  was  it  you  took  from  the 
miriok,  Arthur?  ” 

The  boy  put  his  hand  into  the  bosom  of 
his  flannel  blouse,  and  brought  out  a care- 
fully folded  piece  of  blue  and  white  cloth, 
which  he  shook  out  to  its  full  length. 

“ It  was  this  ! ” he  said. 

Dr.  Griffin  gave  a sudden  exclamation,  and 
seized  it  from  the  boy’s  hand.  Wind  and 
rain  had  played  havoc  with  the  once  gay 


214  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


fabric,  but  the  letters  embroidered  on  it  could 
still  be  read  plainly. 

It  was  the  flag  of  the  Philippa ! 

There  could  be  no  mistake.  It  was  indeed 
the  flag  of  the  Philippa,  or,  that  is,  what  was 
left  of  the  gay  little  pennant  that  had  floated 
so  proudly  from  its  staff  the  morning  young 
Walter  Griffin’s  sampan  had  left  Seoul  on 
that  last  and  fatal  journey.  The  upper  por- 
tion was  torn  away  as  though  it  had  been 
suddenly  rent  from  the  staff.  But  the  letters 
were  plain  enough,  embroidered  in  Aunt 
Philippa’s  most  beautiful  stitch,  aided  by 
suggestions  from  each  of  the  young  Vances, 
in  turn.  How  pleased  Mr.  Walter  had  been 
with  it ! as  pleased  as  a child.  How  his  eyes 
had  glowed  as  Aunt  Philippa  displayed  her 
handiwork.  It  would  be  an  omen  of  rare 
good  luck,  he  enthusiastically  declared.  He 
would  need  no  mascot  now.  Hans,  the  little 
terrier,  who  persisted  in  following  him  every- 
where, might  as  well  be  left  at  home,  since 
the  flag  worked  by  love’s  hand  would  bring 
all  the  good  luck  needed ; but  Hans  himself 
showed  that  he  thought  otherwise.  Alas,  never 
had  gay  expedition  come  to  sadder  ending  I 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  215 

A deep  silence  followed  the  exclamations 
with  which  Arthur’s  revelation  was  received. 
Margaret  broke  the  silence  at  last.  Turning 
to  the  young  physician  she  said,  “I,  too,  have 
something  to  tell  you,  Dr.  Griffin.  I made 
a most  surprising  discovery  while  at  Pop- 
hung’s.  There  was  an  unusual  piece  of 
furniture  there  that  attracted  my  attention.” 

“ What  was  the  piece  of  furniture,  Mar- 
garet ? ” asked  her  father  quickly. 

There  was  something  in  her  tone  that  im- 
pressed him. 

“ It  was  an  artist’s  easel,  sir,”  promptly 
replied  Margaret,  and  looking  straight  at 
Dr.  Griffin. 

“ An  artist’s  easel  ? ” repeated  the  young 
physician  nervously.  “ Can  you  mean  now, 
Margaret,  that ” 

He  could  go  no  further.  The  words  died 
in  his  throat.  Margaret  took  pity  upon  him, 
and  answered  without  further  delay. 

“ There  was  a silver  plate  on  the  easel.  I 
bent  near  enough  to  read  the  name  plainly. 
The  plate  was  somewhat  tarnished,  but  the 
outline  of  the  letters  was  quite  distinct.  The 
name  was  Mr.  Walter’s.” 


216  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ My  brother’s  easel ! 0 Margaret ! ” 

It  was  no  shame  to  him  that  tears  had 
sprung  to  his  eyes. 

“ How  did  my  brother’s  easel  come  in  that 
house?”  Dr.  Griffin  asked,  his  excitement 
plainly  evident.  “Can  it  be  now,  that  this 
man,  Pop-hung,  knows  something  of  my 
brother’s  last  days  ? ” 

“ It  is  more  than  likely,”  replied  Mr.  Vance. 
Then  he  paused  a moment,  as  if  in  thought, 
ere  he  added,  “ But  I cannot  understand 
about  the  easel.  I thought,  Charles,  that  all 
your  brother’s  effects  were  wrecked  when  the 
sampan  went  down  in  the  rapids  near  Nang- 
chon.” 

“ So  I was  told  again  and  again.  Indeed,  I 
was  given  certain  broken  and  battered  bits  of 
wreckage  about  which  there  could  be  no  doubt.” 

“ But  was  the  remains  of  the  easel  among 
them?”  asked  Mr.  Vance. 

“ That  I cannot  now  state  positively ; but 
it  seems  to  me  not.  Indeed,  I am  certain 
now  that  it  was  not.” 

“ I am  sure  I am  not  mistaken,  Dr.  Griffin,” 
said  Margaret,  with  a positiveness  that  left  no 
room  for  doubt. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  217 

“ I must  speak  at  once  to  Myo,”  declared 
Dr.  Griffin,  rising  in  some  agitation. 

“ Do  not  disturb  him  now,”  begged  Mr. 
Vance.  “ He  is  engrossed  with  the  task  of 
getting  the  sampan  safely  up  the  river.  Wait 
at  least  until  he  has  it  at  the  anchorage  pro- 
posed ; and  then,  my  dear  friend,”  he  added 
in  low,  earnest  tones,  “ we  must  go  at  it  gently. 
We  cannot  afford  now,  for  many  reasons,  to 
lose  Myo.” 

“ Well,”  said  Arthur,  “ for  my  part  I think 
Myo  has  acted  very  strangely  about  all  this. 
I’m  beginning  to  wonder  if  we  can  trust  him 
at  all.” 

“ It  seems  we  must,  Arthur,  for  a time  at 
least.  There  is  no  other  course  open  to  us  at 
present.  I think,”  he  added  after  a moment, 
“ there  is  something  on  Myo’s  mind  that 
causes  him  to  act  in  this  way.  It  has  plainly 
appeared  to  me  during  the  last  few  days  that 
Myo  is  restless  concerning  some  matter  he  is 
anxious  to  have  adjusted.  It  may  be  that 
some  plan  on  which  he  greatly  depends  has 
gone  awry,  or  there  is  other  business  trouble 
of  a perplexing  nature.” 

“ Very  likely,”  agreed  Dr.  Griffin.  “ They 


2j8  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


told  me  in  Seoul  that  the  old  poleman  is  a 
man  of  many  interests ; in  fact  that  he  is 
hastening  to  get  rich.” 

“ I believe,  uncle,”  commented  Wilbur, 
“ that  this  business  is  in  some  way  connected 
with  old  Pop-hung.  You  remember  how  curi- 
ously they  both  acted  that  day  on  the  river?  ” 

“ We  remember  it  very  well,”  said  Mr. 
Vance,  speaking  for  Dr.  Griffin  and  himself. 

“ Then,”  continued  Wilbur,  “ Myo’s  pro- 
longed stay  in  this  village,  which  is  the  home 
of  Pop-hung,  and  Margaret’s  finding  them 
together  under  such  suggestive  circumstances  ; 
both  these  facts,  uncle,  point  very  clearly  to  a 
connection  of  some  kind  between  Myo  and 
Pop-hung.” 

“ The  matter  seems  clear  enough,  Wilbur,” 
agreed  his  uncle. 

They  had  been  talking  in  low  tones,  for  the 
head  poleman  was  not  many  feet  away,  though 
they  could  see  that  he  was  very  intently 
engaged  with  the  business  of  getting  the  sam- 
pan safely  through  the  currents. 

“ It  is  strange,”  remarked  Arthur  suddenly, 
“ how  indifferent  Myo  was  to  our  imprison- 
ment.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


219 


“ He  declared  to  me,”  said  Margaret,  “ as 
we  were  running  toward  the  sampan  that  he 
knew  nothing  about  it  until  this  very  even- 
ing, no  more  than  an  hour  or  so,  in  fact,  prior 
to  the  time  I appeared  at  Pop-hung’s.  He 
had  been  miles  away  from  the  village  and  had 
not  returned  until  the  set  of  the  sun  on  this 
evening.” 

Arthur  gave  a prolonged  whistle.  Myo 
surely  must  have  heard  that.  But  as  he  was 
used  to  Arthur’s  whistles  he  paid  no  attention. 

“ What  a fishy  story  ! ” exclaimed  Arthur. 
“ I knew  the  old  rogue  was  pretty  badr  but  I 
didn’t  think  he  was  as  wicked  as  this.” 

“ The  truth  is,”  said  Wilbur,  “ we  both  had 
the  thought  at  one  time  that  Myo  had  had 
something  to  do  with  our  arrest  and  imprison- 
ment.” 

“ That  we  did,”  assented  Arthur,  “ but  since 
we  have  seen  how  ready  he  was  to  help  Mar- 
garet, and  how  promptly  he  came  to  our  aid 
in  getting  us  away  from  that  trouble  just  a 
little  while  ago,  my  opinion  has  changed.” 

“ I am  glad  to  hear  you  give  Myo  that  jus- 
tice,” said  Margaret.  “ But  for  him  I am 
sure  I never  could  have  reached  the  sampan 


220  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


in  time.  I am  also  fully  convinced  now  that 
he  recognized  me  at  Pop-hung’s  almost  so 
soon  as  I began  to  play.” 

“ Myo  is  really  good  when  you  know  him 
well,”  declared  Stephen  earnestly.  “ He  has 
been  about  a great  deal,  and  has  so  many  in- 
teresting things  to  tell.” 

“ Oh,  but  he  has  such  dreadful  eyes  ! ” in- 
terposed Sarah  with  a shudder.  “ I am  sure 
I never  could  get  to  the  place  where  I could 
trust  him.” 

“ But,  my  dear,”  reasoned  Margaret,  “ the 
poor  man  can’t  help  the  appearance  of  his 
eyes.  I must  admit,  though,  that  their  effect 
on  one  is  rather  trying.  But  I cannot  believe 
he  will  do  us  any  harm,  and  he  certainly  has 
come  to  our  rescue  this  time.” 

“ Well,”  said  Dr.  Griffin,  “ I must  have  a 
talk  with  him  in  the  morning,  and  if  possible 
I will  go  back  to  the  village.  I can’t  rest  till 
I have  seen  old  Pop-hung  myself.” 


CHAPTER  XVI 


A CATASTROPHE 

Mr.  Vance  fully  agreed  with  Dr.  Griffin 
that  they  should  not  only  return,  but  should 
search  the  village  thoroughly.  “ But,”  he 
said,  “ we  cannot  get  the  necessary  papers 
until  we  reach  the  prefecture  of  Nang-chon, 
where  we  can  have  telegraphic  communica- 
tion with  Seoul.  And  we  must  remember, 
Charles,  the  slowness  with  which  Korean  law 
machinery  moves.  But  one  thing  is  certain, 
we  must  give  up  all  thought  of  further  prog- 
ress up  the  Han  until  this  matter  of  a return 
to  the  village  for  a thorough  examination  re- 
ceives our  attention.” 

“ You  are  right,  father,”  spoke  Arthur 
quickly.  “ We  can't  think  of  our  own  pleas- 
ure until  we  know  more  definitely  how  these 
effects  of  poor  Mr.  Walter  came  to  be  in  that 
village.” 

But  it  was  now  long  past  the  time  that  they 
ought  to  have  been  in  bed.  All  felt  the  need 
of  rest.  Three  of  the  party,  at  least,  were 


221 


222  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


worn  out  from  the  trying  experiences  through 
which  they  had  so  recently  passed. 

“ I shall  speak  to  Myo  very  early  in  the 
morning,”  Dr.  Griffin  remarked  to  Mr.  Vance 
as  they  entered  their  cabin. 

The  young  physician  slept  little  that  night. 
His  mind  was  in  a tumult.  Shortly  after 
daybreak,  he  arose,  dressed  himself,  and 
sought  Myo. 

The  head  poleman  was  just  awaking  from 
his  own  nap,  for  he  had  brought  the  sampan 
to  a safe  mooring  two  or  three  hours  before, 
and  had  then  turned  the  remainder  of  the 
watch  for  the  night  over  to  Kang. 

Myo  met  Dr.  Griffin’s  adroit  questionings 
with  replies  equally  adroit,  though  so  far 
as  the  artist’s  easel  was  concerned,  he  told  a 
very  straight  story.  Young  Griffin  had  been 
in  the  village.  He  had  spent  a week  or  more 
at  Pop-hung’s.  Ostensibly  he  had  been 
sketching  in  the  neighborhood,  but  Myo 
knew,  and  so  did  others,  that  he  was  really 
digging  for  treasure  in  the  side  of  the  hill, 
Nippoo-san.  When  he  had  gone  away  further 
up  the  stream  he  had  asked  Pop-hung’s  per- 
mission to  leave  the  easel  until  his  return,  as 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  223 

he  did  not  wish  at  that  time  to  be  bothered 
with  it. 

As  to  the  pennant  of  the  Philippa,  Myo  did 
not  seem  so  assured.  Indeed,  he  almost 
broke  down  when  this  was  mentioned.  He 
was  overcome  with  astonishment  to  learn  that 
the  boys  had  taken  it  from  the  miriok  and 
brought  it  aboard.  He  began  to  prophesy  all 
manner  of  dire  calamity  that  would  overtake 
them  in  consequence. 

He  did  not  know  that  the  pennant  was  at- 
tached to  the  miriok,  he  declared,  but  since 
it  was,  it  ought  to  have  been  left  there.  He 
trembled  when  it  was  shown  to  him,  crying 
out  that  the  demons  would  surely  be  angry 
and  that  naught  but  misfortune  would  befall 
them.  He  begged  to  be  allowed  to  go  back 
to  the  village  and  restore  it  to  the  miriok  ; 
but,  of  course,  this  petition  was  not  for  a mo- 
ment considered. 

“ That  would  be  very  silly, ” Margaret 
reasoned  with  him.  “The  pennant  has  no 
right  there.  It  belonged  to  Dr.  Griffin’s 
brother,  who  is  dead,  and  the  doctor  alone 
has  the  right  to  say  what  shall  be  done  with 


224  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

But  this  did  not  by  any  means  convince 
Myo.  He  continued  to  moan  that  the  spirits 
were  angry,  that  one  in  particular  could  not 
be  appeased.  To  add  to  their  dismay,  Myo 
now  returned  to  his  former  habit  of  sitting  in 
the  stern  with  bowed  head,  while  he  muttered 
to  himself  and  beat  himself  in  the  breast. 
Two  or  three  times  also  Margaret  and  Arthur 
saw  him  looking  at  the  picture  of  himself 
which  young  Walter  Griffin  had  drawn. 

“ He  surely  can’t  be  making  a fetish  out  of 
his  own  picture,”  remarked  Arthur  in  disgust. 
Yet  it  did  look  so. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  second  day  fol- 
lowing this  one  Kang  came  to  Mr.  Vance  in 
great  distress.  Something  was  wrong  with 
Myo.  He  seemed  to  have  lost  his  nerve  en- 
tirely and  was  now  declaring  there  were  rapids 
not  far  away  through  which  he  was  sure  they 
would  never  get  safely.  The  sampan  would 
go  to  pieces  on  the  rocks,  and  the  spirits  would 
have  them  all  ere  the  day  was  done.  There 
was  one  spirit  in  particular,  he  kept  crying 
out,  whose  face  was  constantly  looking  at  him 
from  the  water.  When  they  reached  the 
rapids  the  spirit  would  be  there.  It  would 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  225 

cling  to  the  rocks  and  would  swing  long  arms, 
forbidding  them  to  go  by. 

Kang  was  himself  shaken  by  Myo’s  be- 
havior. Yet  he  said  quite  bravely  that  if  the 
occupants  would  leave  the  sampan  after  the 
noon  meal  and  take  to  the  path  along  the 
river,  which  was  a very  good  one  for  some 
distance  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  rapids, 
he,  Kang,  would  do  the  very  best  he  could  to 
get  the  sampan  through  under  Myo’s  direction. 

It  was  now  definitely  decided  that,  after  the 
noon  meal,  they  would  go  ashore  at  a spot 
just  below  the  rapids,  that  had  been  desig- 
nated by  Kang.  If  the  sampan  went  safely 
through,  they  would  have  a walk  of  only 
about  three  miles.  They  could  then  return 
to  the  boat  and  proceed  on  the  way  to  Nang- 
chon,  which  they  hoped  to  reach  at  dusk  that 
evening. 

“ We  must  each  take  a change  of  under- 
clothing,” declared  Mr.  Vance,  “ and  such  of 
our  personal  effects  as  we  can  conveniently 
carry.” 

“ Why,  father,”  laughed  Margaret,  “ you 
talk  as  though  everything  we  leave  here  was 
surely  going  to  the  bottom.” 


226  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ Well,  my  dear,  one  never  knows  what  is 
to  happen ; and  I have  learned,  even  in  my 
peaceful  life,  to  prepare  for  the  conflict,  which 
fortunately,  so  far  has  never  arrived.  Even 
with  this  happy  record  to  fall  back  upon,  I, 
nevertheless,  advise  that  we  prepare  ourselves 
for  an  emergency,  which  I can  plainly  see 
from  Kang’s  conduct  he  anticipates.” 

The  boys  did  not  take  very  cheerfully  to 
the  idea  of  carrying  the  goods  from  the  sam- 
pan. Almost  unconsciously  Arthur  scowled 
at  Myo  in  passing,  and  even  Wilbur  did  not 
look  very  good-natured  as  he  nodded  to  him 
an  adieu.  Stephen  alone  of  the  boys  faced 
cheerfully  the  new  turn  in  affairs.  He  was 
longing  to  get  on  shore  for  a sight  of 
the  mountains  which  Kang  had  told  him 
presented  such  a magnificent  view  from  a 
bluff  along  the  river  bank. 

“ But  for  that  old  Myo  we  would  never  have 
had  to  go  to  all  this  bother,”  grumbled  Ar- 
thur. “I  do  wish  he  could  have  behaved 
himself  like  a sane  being  instead  of  going  on 
in  this  wild  way  about  spirits,  demons  and 
such  nonsense.  I declare,  I could  shake  all 
that  silliness  out  of  him.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  227 

“ As  if  such  a thing  would  be  possible,” 
commented  Wilbur,  who,  truth  to  tell,  was 
himself  thoroughly  provoked  with  Myo. 
“ You  might  shake  and  shake  forever  for  all 
the  good  it  would  do.  I didn’t  know  he  could 
be  so  idiotic.” 

“ 0 but,  Arthur,  Wilbur,”  remonstrated 
Margaret,  “ the  poor  man  can’t  help  his  super- 
stitions. We  ought  really  to  pity  him,  poor 
thing  ! Then  have  you  so  soon  forgotten  what 
he  did  for  us  two  nights  ago  ? ” 

No,  they  had  not  forgotten.  They  felt 
ashamed  now  of  their  hasty  speaking,  and  so 
admitted. 

Dr.  Griffin  was  unusually  sad  this  morning. 
They  were  now,  he  had  reason  to  believe,  not 
many  miles  from  the  spot  where  his  brother’s 
sampan  had  been  wrecked.  It  was  some- 
where in  the  neighborhood  of  Nang-chon ; 
he  did  not  know  positively  where.  There 
was  a conflicting  opinion  on  the  part  of  the 
villagers  he  had  examined,  with  reference  to 
the  locality  where  the  calamity  had  occurred, 
though  the  most  of  them  had  agreed  in 
saying  that  it  had  . happened  near  Nang- 
chon. 


228  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


He  for  one  was  glad  enough  to  go  ashore. 
The  river  had  only  haunting  suggestions. 
Perhaps  deep  down  in  some  dark  pool  over 
which  they  might  pass,  his  brother’s  body 
lay  entombed. 

All  noted  his  sad  and  dejected  air,  and 
Margaret  had  whispered  to  Wilbur  and  Sarah 
the  cause  of  it. 

“ Poor  Dr.  Griffin  ! ” murmured  Sarah  ; 
“ how  I do  wish  he  could  find  out  something 
definite  about  his  brother.  If  he  could  only 
know  where  he  is  buried  it  would  be  some 
satisfaction,  though  a melancholy  one.” 

They  bade  cheerful  good-bye  to  their  pole- 
men,  then  stood  for  a moment  watching  the 
sampan  as,  under  Kang’s  and  Chefoo’s  deft 
strokes,  it  was  poled  again  toward  the  cur- 
rent, some  twenty  feet  or  more  off  shore. 
Min  had  elected  to  go  with  the  sampan,  de- 
claring that,  as  he  couldn’t  possibly  carry  all 
the  cooking  utensils  and  eatables  ashore,  he 
intended  to  stand  by  them. 

At  the  spot  where  the}7  had  landed  the 
river  widened  out  considerably,  to  contract 
into  a channel  of  no  more  than  forty  feet  in 
width  a half  mile  further  on,  where  it  ran 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  229 

between  high  bluffs  and  over  masses  of  up- 
heaved  rock. 

The  party  ashore  turned  aside  from  the 
path,  at  the  point  Stephen  indicated,  to  climb 
the  bluff  along  the  river’s  bank  for  the 
magnificent  view  Kang  promised.  He  had 
not  seen  it  himself,  but  Myo  had  told  him 
of  it.  They  were  not  disappointed,  for  it  was 
indeed  a glorious  view  of  valleys  shut  in  by 
mountain  ranges  that  rose  one  above  the 
other,  till  the  furthermost  of  all  seemed  to 
pierce  their  way  into  the  very  dome  of  heaven. 

“ There  is  nothing  in  our  Rockies  to  sur- 
pass that ! ” declared  Wilbur. 

“ Oh,  look  ! ” cried  Stephen  excitedly  ; 
“ they  are  having  a dreadful  time  with  the 
sampan  ! ” 

They  all  turned  in  the  direction  indicated. 
The  bluff  was  almost  bare  of  vegetation  at 
this  point.  It  did  not  rise  sheer  from  the 
water,  but  sloped  somewhat  gradually.  The 
sampan  was  in  plain  view  some  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  below  them. 

There  seemed  to  be  a succession  of  rapids. 
The  sampan  had  passed  through  two  of  these, 
which,  to  the  unpracticed  eyes  looking  on, 


230  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

appeared  to  be  the  very  worst  of  all.  It  was 
now  approaching  a third  crest,  and  its  present 
precarious  situation,  it  seemed,  was  caused  by 
the  counter  flow  of  currents.  Kang  and 
Chefoo  were  doing  heroic  poling,  while 
Kodong  was  steering  and  bending  to  his  task 
with  earnestness  and  determination. 

Myo  was  standing  by  Kang.  He  seemed 
to  be  giving  directions,  but  every  now  and 
then  he  would  throw  his  arms  up  gesticulat- 
ing wildly ; then  look  around  upon  the 
stream  and  move  his  shoulders  from  side  to 
side,  as  though  he  were  going  through  some 
incantation  to  evoke  the  aid  of  spirits. 

Almost  as  they  looked  they  saw  the  sampan 
spin  round  violently  as  if  all  control  of  it  had 
been  lost.  Then  it  reared  upward  like  a 
frightened  horse.  It  stood  almost  perpendic- 
ular for  a moment,  to  come  down  upon  the 
rocks  the  next  with  a sickening  crash  plainly 
heard  by  the  startled  group  upon  the  bluff. 

Margaret  and  Sarah  closed  their  eyes,  their 
hearts  faint  with  horror.  When  they  dared 
open  them  again,  through  an  irresistible  im- 
pulse to  learn  the  worst  of  what  had  hap- 
pened in  the  river,  parts  of  the  wrecked 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  231 

sampan  were  being  tossed  hither  and  thither 
by  the  violent  current.  Strewn  amid  the 
wrecked  timbers  were  portions  of  bedding 
and  of  clothing,  boxes  of  supplies,  camp- 
chairs,  and  other  articles  of  the  sampan’s 
cargo. 

It  was  indeed  a catastrophe,  and  all  thought 
of  the  sore  straits  in  which  they  would  be 
left  by  the  wreck  of  the  sampan  was  for  the 
time  lost  sight  of  in  their  keen  anxiety  for 
the  lives  of  those  aboard. 

The  men  were  now  seen  struggling  in 
smoother  water.  The  force  with  which  the 
sampan  had  leaped  upward  had  thrown  it 
partly  over  the  rocks,  and  the  boatmen,  with 
the  instincts  of  their  training,  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  their  opportunity  to  spring  into 
the  less  violent  current  ere  the  boat  came 
down  again  with  a crash  upon  the  rocks. 

Suddenly  a shout  from  Arthur  broke  the 
terrible  strain. 

“ Do  look  at  Min  ! If  he  isn’t  swimming 
after  the  coop  of  fowls,  instead  of  trying  to 
get  himself  out  of  that  whirlpool ! ” 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE  FACE  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT 

With  varied  exclamations  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  wreck  of  the  sampan  from  the 
bluff  began  to  make  their  way  as  quickly  as 
they  could  toward  a depression  in  the  bank  a 
hundred  yards  or  so  away.  It  was  very 
likely  that  those  struggling  in  the  current 
would  try  to  land  there. 

One  by  one  they  came  ashore,  dripping  and 
well-nigh  exhausted,  yet  each  had  managed 
to  save  a small  portion  of  his  effects,  while 
Min  triumphantly  dragged  ashore  the  coop 
of  chickens,  the  inmates  of  which  were,  like 
himself,  gasping  for  breath.  Boy  and  fowls 
had  alike  come  near  to  drowning. 

“ Got  to  go  to  monastery  now,”  said  Min  to 
Arthur  between  his  gasps,  “ Half  starve 
there,  for  monks  have  no  fowl,  no  fish,  no 
flesh.  Min  save  fowls  one,  two,  three,  four, 
five,  six,”  holding  up  a finger  for  each  as  he 
counted.  “ Three  good  meals  anyhow  before 
starve  ! ” and  he  grinned  delightedly. 

232 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  233 

“ Give  me  your  hand,  Min,”  cried  Arthur 
enthusiastically.  “ You  are  the  sage  of  this 
crowd,  and  no  mistake.  Your  wisdom  isn’t 
to  he  questioned.  But  is  it  true  the  monks 
will  starve  us?  What  will  they  feed  us  on, 
anyhow  ? ” solicitously. 

“ Pine  nuts  and  honey,”  declared  Min  with 
a doleful  shake  of  the  head. 

“ No  more  than  that?”  asked  Arthur 
aghast. 

“ No  more ! ” and  Min’s  expression  was  even 
more  gloomy. 

But  where  was  Myo  ? All  had  come  ashore 
now  but  the  head  poleman.  A close  search 
failed  to  locate  him. 

“ I fear  he  went  down  in  the  rapids,  honor- 
able sir,”  said  Kang  sorrowfully  to  Mr.  Vance. 
“ He  did  not  seem  to  have  heart  for  any- 
thing. All  the  way  he  kept  declaring  that 
the  demons  would  surely  wreak  vengeance  on 
us  ; and  once  or  twice  he  cried  out  sharply 
that  there  was  a face  in  the  water  and  long 
arms  that  beckoned  to  him.” 

Kang  shivered  as  he  said  these  words,  but 
it  may  have  been  from  the  chill  of  his  wet 
clothing. 


234  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ I saw  him  as  the  boat  was  about  to  crash 
down  again,”  Chefoo  added.  “ He  had  his 
arms  flung  upward  as  though  he  were  going 
to  leap.  I fear  he  failed  to  make  the  leap 
safely,”  and  he,  too,  shivered. 

“ Poor  Myo,”  said  Margaret,  her  eyes  filling 
with  tears  ; “ how  dreadful  if  he  really  came 
to  his  death  in  the  Han  ! ” 

“ Let  us  hope  not,”  spoke  Sarah  earnestly. 
“ Perhaps  he  escaped  to  the  opposite  shore.” 

Others  shared  this  hope,  until  Kang  gave  it 
as  his  opinion  that  this  would  have  been  well- 
nigh  impossible.  The  banks  were  entirely  too 
precipitous  on  that  side. 

They  lingered  many  moments,  glancing  up 
and  down  the  stream,  searching  every  point 
within  reach  of  their  vision,  but  without 
result. 

“ He  may  have  found  a landing  some  yards 
below  this,”  remarked  Wilbur. 

Again  Kang  showed  the  futility  of  the 
hope.  Had  Myo  drifted  down  stream  he 
would  have  been  carried  again  through  the 
rapids.  * 

“ I am  afraid  he  is  gone,  poor  fellow  ! ” said 
Mr.  Vance  with  feeling.  Despite  the  suspi- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  235 

cions  he  had  begun  to  have  of  late  of  Myo,  the 
head  poleman’s  personality  was  such  it  had 
made  a deep  impression  on  him. 

“ Min  spoke  of  a monastery,”  said  Dr.  Grif- 
fin as  he  turned  to  Kang.  “ Is  there  one  near 
at  hand  ? ” 

It  was  no  more  than  two  miles  away,  he 
was  assured. 

“ But  must  we  go  to  the  monastery  ? ” asked 
Arthur  dubiously,  as  a look  of  commiseration 
passed  between  him  and  Min.  “ Why  not  go 
to  the  next  village,  father  ? ” 

“ Because  that  is  more  than  four  miles 
away,”  replied  Mr.  Vance,  who  had  been  in 
further  conversation  with  Kang,  “ and  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river.” 

Arthur  whistled. 

“Well,  I suppose  that  settles  it.  We  shall 
have  to  take  the  monastery.” 

“ This  is  the  second  one,  I understand,” 
said  Dr.  Griffin  to  Mr.  Vance,  “ in  the  chain 
of  monasteries,  forty-eight  in  all,  that  termi- 
nates in  the  very  heart  of  the  Diamond 
Mountain  region.  It  cannot  be  so  far  from 
here,”  he  added  in  lower  tones,  “ that  the  one 
we  desire  particularly  to  visit  is  situated.” 


236  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ Only  some  eight  or  ten  miles,  I believe,” 
replied  Mr.  Vance. 

“ Do  you  think  the  monks  will  receive  us, 
uncle  ?”  asked  Wilbur  anxiously. 

“ We  can  go  and  try  them,  my  boy,”  his 
uncle  replied  somewhat  evasively.  “ They 
are  said  to  treat  kindly  all  strangers  whom 
misfortune  has  stranded,  and  as  we  are  now 
in  that  condition,  I think  they  will  not  turn 
us  away.  I have  heard,”  he  continued,  “ that 
the  monks  are  really  benevolent,  and  that 
each  monastery  maintains  a horde  of  hang- 
ers-on of  every  description,  many  who  are 
sick  and  in  other  conditions  of  helplessness, 
while  a number  seek  alms  of  the  monks 
through  indolence.” 

“ But  these  are  natives,  no  doubt,”  said 
Arthur  quickly.  “ Will  they  receive  us  as 
readily  ? ” 

His  father  did  not  reply.  He  was  anx- 
iously debating  in  his  own  mind  this  same 
question. 

“ The  monks  do  not  like  foreigners  any 
more  than  some  of  the  people  in  the  villages 
do,”  declared  Stephen.  “ Have  you  forgotten, 
father,  how  badly  Mr.  Epting  was  treated  ? ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  237 

“What  do  you  think  about  it,  Kang?” 
asked  Arthur,  suddenly  turning  to  the  boat- 
man. 

Kang  appeared  confused.  No  doubt  he  had 
not  expected  so  direct  a question. 

He  was  sure  they  would  receive  no  ill-treat- 
ment, he  managed  to  say  at  length. 

From  the  manner  in  which  Kang  spoke,  it 
was  quite  apparent  that  he  and  his  associate 
boatmen  did  not  intend  to  seek  the  hospitality 
of  the  monasteries. 

“ Why,  hear  him  ! ” Arthur  said  somewhat 
indignantly  to  his  father.  “ Is  he  going  to 
send  us  where  he  won't  go  himself?  ” 

“ Hush,  Arthur,”  his  father  said  reprov- 
ingly. “ You  must  not  allude  in  so  rough  a 
way  to  Kang.  He  has  scruples  which  he  can- 
not overcome,”  he  added  in  still  lower  tones. 
“ Most  Koreans  despise  heartily  Buddhism 
and  its  shaven  priests.  I think  Kang  would 
prefer  to  spend  the  night  on  the  river  bank 
rather  than  go  to  the  monastery  for  shelter.” 

“ But,  father,  if  they  are  going  to  the  vil- 
lage, why  cannot  we  go,  too?  ” 

“ For  the  very  good  reason,  Arthur,  that  it 
is  twice  as  far  as  the  monastery,  and  there  is  a 


238  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

deep  ford  between.  Have  you  not  heard  that 
the  settlement  is  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river  ? ” 

“ I am  sure  we  shall  not  find  it  so  dreadful 
at  the  monastery,”  spoke  Margaret  blithely. 
“ Kang  has  just  told  me  that  foreigners  have 
been  there  before  and  were  fairly  well  treated. 
Besides,  it  is  a Red  Arrow  monastery.” 

“ Why,  what  do  you  mean  by  that?  ” asked 
Sarah  quickly. 

“ One  where  the  Government  has  some 
supervision.  The  red  arrow  is  the  King’s 
token  of  approval.  The  chang-sop,  or  head 
abbot,  is  elected  by  the  Board  of  Rites  in 
Seoul,  and  has  to  answer  to  them  for  any  con- 
duct they  would  not  approve.” 

“ 0 bother  the  Board  of  Rites  in  Seoul ! ” 
exclaimed  Arthur.  “ If  they  don’t  take  any 
more  trouble  to  investigate  the  conduct  of  the 
abbots  than  they  do  to  look  into  other  matters 
they  are  supposed  to  attend  to,  you  may  rest 
assured  that  these  old  chang-sops  have  things 
pretty  much  their  own  way.” 

It  was  now  decided  that  they  would  seek 
the  monastery  without  delay,  especially  as 
those  who  had  been  in  the  river  were  shiver- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  239 

ing  in  their  wet  clothing,  “ and  ought  to  be 
moving  on,”  as  Dr.  Griffin  stated  most  em- 
phatically. 

Kang  conducted  them  to  the  foot  of  the 
pathway  leading  upward  along  a winding 
course  to  the  monastery,  known  as  “ Chang- 
an-sa  (The  Temple  of  Eternal  Rest).”  The 
natives,  however,  call  it  “ Tan-pa  ” or  crop- 
hair,  because  of  the  shaven  heads  of  its 
monks.  There  were  other  Chang-an-sas,  they 
knew,  on  the  Han,  one  more  notable  than  all 
the  others,  far  up  among  the  rugged  peaks  of 
the  Diamond  Mountain  section.  This  Chang- 
an-sa  both  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  ar- 
dently desired  to  reach,  but  now  realized  that 
the  hope  must  be  abandoned.  But  the  near-by 
monastery,  where  they  hoped  to  gain  informa- 
tion of  Walter  Griffin,  they  must  visit  so  soon 
as  they  could. 

Shortly  after  starting  on  their  climb,  Kang 
told  them,  they  would  come  to  a narrow  bridge 
spanning  a foaming  torrent.  Here  they  were 
to  turn  to  the  right,  and  from  this  point  they 
would  have  no  trouble  in  keeping  the  path- 
way, as  it  was  very  well  defined. 

The  monastery,  he  further  informed  them, 


240  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

stood  upon  a plateau  a mile  or  so  from  the 
river  bank.  After  crossing  the  fifth  bridge 
they  would  come  to  a regular  roadway  which 
led  downward  to  another  point  on  the  river. 

They  found  it  a tortuous  climb  and  many 
times  had  to  pause  for  breath.  All  about 
them  were  evidences  of  volcanic  upheaval. 

“ Years  ago  this  slope  has  been  in  the  throes 
of  a mighty  earthquake/’  said  Dr.  Griffin,  as 
he  paused  to  examine  more  critically  a mass 
of  jagged  boulders. 

“ Is  Korea  much  of  an  earthquake  coun- 
try?” asked  Wilbur. 

“ Well,  we  have  a considerable  shake  now 
and  then,”  replied  Mr.  Vance,  “ and  once  in  a 
while  we  have  an  upheaval  that  does  much 
damage,  destroying  not  only  property,  but 
life.” 

“ Oh,  it  is  nothing  like  so  bad  as  it  is  in 
Japan,”  said  Stephen  quickly.  “ Think  of 
living  in  Tokio,  where  they  have,  on  an  aver- 
age, one  earthquake  shock  every  day.” 

“You  wouldn’t  get  me  to  live  in  Tokio,” 
announced  Sarah  emphatically,  “ nor  even  to 
visit  it.” 

Margaret  smiled  at  her. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  241 

“You  would  be  very  foolish,  Sarah,  not  to 
go  if  ever  you  have  the  chance,  for  it  is  truly 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  cities  in  the  world, 
and  there  are  so  many  wonderful  things  to 
see.” 

“ But  I would  be  so  afraid  of  the  earth- 
quakes, I wouldn’t  enjoy  a single  thing,”  per- 
sisted Sarah. 

The  way  grew  wider  and  more  beautiful  at 
every  step.  A forest  of  pines  and  firs  stretched 
all  about  them.  In  some  portions  of  it, 
though  the  sun  was  yet  more  than  two  hours 
high,  the  light  was  like  that  of  twilight. 
Every  bridge  seemed  to  span  a spot  more  pic- 
turesque than  the  last.  Each  of  these  bridges 
consisted  of  no  more  than  a single  huge  log, 
roughly  hewn  to  a flat  surface,  with  a rude 
hand-railing  of  slender  saplings  knotted  to- 
gether with  ropes  of  wistaria.  All  about  the 
edges  of  the  chasm  grew  tall,  graceful  ferns, 
while  many  feet  below  the  torrent  leaped  and 
foamed.  They  could  hear,  too,  the  far-away 
murmur  of  other  streams  and  the  muffled 
boom  of  leaping  cascades. 

“ From  all  appearances,”  Dr.  Griffin  re- 
marked to  Mr.  Vance,  “ this  hill  would  present 


242  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

tempting  opportunities  for  the  subterranean 
action  of  streams.” 

“ Oh,  that  reminds  me,”  cried  Arthur  sud- 
denly. “ What  do  you  think  Kang  told 
me?  He  said  that  if  our  sampan  had  not 
been  wrecked,  and  we  had  been  of  the  mind 
to  do  it,  we  could  have  reached  the  monastery 
by  way  of  a subterranean  passage,  a real  un- 
derground waterway.  It  is  entered  from  the 
river  through  the  mouth  of  a cave,  not  far 
from  the  point  where  the  wreck  of  our  sampan 
occurred.  The  only  difficulty,  as  Kang  ad- 
mitted,” Arthur  concluded  with  a whimsical 
smile,  “ is  that  only  the  priests  know  its  intri- 
cacies, and  that  the  landing-place  at  the  mon- 
astery is  also  a mystery.  So  in  order  to  have 
made  this  underground  journey  successfully, 
we  would  have  been  compelled  to  have  secured 
one  of  the  monks  for  our  guide.” 

“ Of  course  we  could  have  done  that  easily,” 
remarked  Wilbur  sarcastically. 

About  half  way  up  they  struck  the  broad, 
smooth  roadway  of  which  Kang  had  told 
them.  It  was  a fine  piece  of  work,  and  showed 
not  only  patience,  but  skill. 

“ These  monks  are  surely  fine  road  build- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  243 

ers,”  declared  Arthur  admiringly.  Then  the 
rest  of  his  sentence  was  finished  in  a growl, 
“ But  I don’t  see  why  they  couldn’t  have  built 
down  to  the  river  on  this  side  while  they  were 
about  it.” 

“ O you  greedy  fellow ! ” cried  Margaret, 
“ you  are  always  wanting  more  than  is  at 
hand.  You  should  be  satisfied  with  the  gifts, 
not  the  gods,  that  the  monks  have  provided, 
and  not  be,  like  Oliver  Twist,  crying  for 
more.” 

“ I hope  this  is  not  the  only  gift  they’ll  pro- 
vide,” said  Wilbur,  nodding  toward  the  road- 
way. “ I hope  there’ll  be  the  gift  of  some 
sort  of  supper.  I must  say  this  climb  has 
made  me  altogether  forget  that  I had  anything 
like  a lunch  at  noon.” 

“ Oh,  don’t  you  despair,”  sang  out  Arthur 
blithely.  “ Here  is  Min  close  behind  with  the 
coop  of  fowls.” 

True  enough  Min  had  hung  bravely  to  his 
coop  through  all  the  steep  and  arduous  climb. 
As  though  to  give  indisputable  evidence  of 
their  fitness  to  be  turned  into  a most  appetiz- 
ing meal,  the  fowls  had  now  set  up  a loud 
squawking. 


244  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ Three  cheers  and  a tiger  for  Min  ! ” cried 
Stephen. 

“ Now  don't  you  be  calling  down  the  tiger,” 
warned  Margaret.  “You  know  Kang  told  us 
there  were  tigers  in  the  forests  about  the  monas- 
tery ? I am  sure  we  wouldn't  relish  meeting 
one  at  this  lonely  spot,  even  if  it  were  in- 
tended as  a prize  for  Min.” 

“ Min  no  want  tiger,”  declared  the  young 
Chinese  with  a vigorous  shake  of  his  head. 

“ He  is  satisfied  with  the  fowls  at  present,”  . 
declared  Stephen,  which  remark  Min  proved 
quite  true  by  grinning  broadly  and  shaking 
the  fowls  again,  till  they  set  up  another  loud 
squawking. 

They  passed  numerous  shrines  by  the  way 
before  which  offerings  of  fruit  and  food  were 
set.  The  path,  winding  along  a course  that 
gave  gradual  access  to  the  summit,  passed 
under  numerous  arched  gateways.  The  last 
of  all  was  the  lofty  and  magnificently-carved 
Hang-sal-mun,  or  Gateway  of  the  Red  Arrow. 
Beyond  it  lay  a wide-stretching  grassy  plateau, 
with  towering  mountain  peaks  walling  it  in 
on  every  side. 

In  the  centre  of  the  plateau  stood  the  mon- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  245 

astery,  an  immense  building  of  stone,  heavily 
tiled,  with  carvings  of  woodwork  covering  it 
here  and  there,  freshly  tinted  and  gilded. 
The  monks  had  scores  of  workmen  at  their 
command,  it  was  said,  and  almost  daily  some 
renovation  was  going  on. 

Temples  large  and  small  clustered  about. 
There  was  also  a pavilion,  where  religious 
dramas  were  enacted,  several  bell  houses,  any 
number  of  shrines  covered  by  quaint,  carved 
roofs,  additional  dormitories,  a nunnery,  a 
refectory  for  the  abbot,  and  various  outbuild- 
ings of  all  sizes  and  appearances. 

“ We  have  here,”  said  Mr.  Vance  in  low 
tones  to  Dr.  Griffin,  “ full  evidence  of  the 
declaration  that  ‘ Buddhism  knows  well  how 
to  possess  itself  of  all  the  most  beautiful  in 
nature/  The  place  is  a paradise.” 

A crowd  of  monks  and  boys  curiously  eyed 
their  approach.  There  was  another  feeling, 
too,  very  evident  in  the  faces  of  several  as  our 
travelers  drew  near.  One  or  two  of  the  priests 
were  fat  and  good-natured  looking,  but  the 
most  of  them  had  forbidding  countenances. 

An  elderly  monk,  rather  haughty  in  his 
appearance,  which  they  took  as  an  evidence 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

of  his  rank,  now  stepped  out  from  among  the 
others,  and  demanded  their  business. 

Mr.  Vance,  in  response  to  Dr.  Griffin’s  re- 
quest, replied  politely  that  they  were  ship- 
wrecked travelers  and  had  come  beseeching 
the  hospitality  of  the  monastery  for  a short 
time.  He  then  gave  a detailed  account  of  the 
recent  destruction  of  their  sampan  in  the 
rapids  and  of  the  departure  of  their  boatmen 
to  a neighboring  town,  where  it  was  hoped 
another  sampan  could  be  secured.  Until  this 
arrangement  was  made  the  monks  of  Chang- 
an-sa  were  most  humbly  besought  to  care  for 
the  stranded  travelers. 

The  monk  eyed  them  critically  for  a few 
moments,  and  then  made  answer  in  tones  that 
were  fully  in  keeping  with  the  haughtiness  of 
his  appearance. 

He  really  had  naught  to  do  with  a case  of 
this  kind.  The  plea  must  go  to  the  san-tong, 
or  sub-abbot,  who  was  acting  in  the  absence 
of  the  abbot,  or  Father  Superior.  If  they 
would  produce  their  passport,  he  supposed  the 
matter  of  their  entertainment  for  a day  or  so 
might  be  arranged. 

These  last  words  he  spoke  in  a manner 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  247 

which  said  quite  plainly  that  he  was  of  the 
opinion  that  they  had  no  such  valuable  article 
as  a passport  in  their  possession,  or  if  they 
had,  it  was  not  of  the  class  to  carry  much 
weight. 

But  the  kwan-ja  was  at  hand  this  time, 
and,  having  dispatched  it  by  a messenger  to 
the  sub-abbot,  the  haughty  looking  priest 
turned  away  as  though  he  had  completely 
washed  his  hands  of  the  affair.  Two  or  three 
followed  his  example,  but  by  far  the  larger 
number  remained,  still  eyeing  curiously  the 
group  of  travelers.  They  pointed  toward 
them  every  now  and  then,  following  these 
movements  by  remarks  among  themselves 
which  evoked  both  amusement  and  earnest 
discussion.  Especially  did  the  two  young 
girls  serve  as  targets  for  their  curiosity.  Their 
fair  skins,  which  exposure  to  the  sun  on  the 
Han  had  but  slightly  tanned,  their  luxuriant, 
glossy  hair  and  novel  style  of  dress,  each  alike 
served  to  arouse  both  curiosity  and  excite 
comment. 

It  was  an  embarrassing  situation  for  our 
friends,  and  they  were  indeed  rejoiced 
when  the  messenger  from  the  sub-abbot  ar- 


248  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

rived  and  there  was  relaxation  from  the 
strain. 

The  san-tong  sent  a very  courteous  reply. 
The  passport  was  of  such  a character  as  to  in- 
sure them  the  hospitality  of  the  monastery. 
His  special  representative,  who  had  returned 
with  the  kwan-ja,  instead  of  the  messenger 
dispatched  by  the  haughty  priest,  was  empow- 
ered to  show  them  every  courtesy.  In  the 
morning  he,  the  san-tong,  would  grant  them 
a special  audience.  Meanwhile,  they  were  to 
be  housed  in  the  best  quarters  the  monastery 
afforded. 

“ Well,  this  is  indeed  a most  unexpected 
change  from  the  disagreeable  to  the  agreeable,” 
said  Arthur  in  an  undertone  to  Wilbur.  “ I 
began  to  think  we  were  going  to  be  stampeded 
from  the  place  like  a herd  of  cattle.  That  old 
sub-abbot  must  indeed  be  a gentleman.  I feel 
like  telling  him  so  if  I ever  get  the  oppor- 
tunity/’ 

“ I heard  the  young  priest  tell  father  that 
he  was  to  conduct  us  to  the  royal  pavilion/1 
said  Stephen.  “ That  is  where  the  representa- 
tives of  the  King  stay  when  they  come  on 
business.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  249 

“ Phew  ! ” Arthur  gave  a prolonged  whistle 
under  his  breath.  “Well,  we  are  stepping 
up  ! I shall  expect  to  hear  next  that  we  have 
been  mistaken  for  members  of  the  royal 
family.” 

“ Hardly/’  remarked  Wilbur  dryly,  “ with 
our  complexion  and  cropped  hair.” 

It  was  indeed  true.  They  were  conducted 
by  the  young  priest  to  apartments  in  the  pa- 
vilion, where  heretofore  none  but  distin- 
guished guests  had  ever  been  housed.  This 
young  man,  who  was  a Japanese,  O-to-ri  by 
name,  as  they  afterward  learned,  had  a very 
intelligent  and  pleasing  face,  which  inspired 
them  with  trust,  and  gave  them  a more  as- 
sured feeling  than  any  they  had  had  since 
starting  for  the  monastery. 

They  had  found  considerable  change  in  the 
temperature  since  ascending  the  slope.  As 
night  approached,  it  grew  quite  chilly.  They 
were  pleased,  therefore,  when  O-to-ri,  return- 
ing with  two  bearers  who  brought  their  even- 
ing meal,  informed  them  that  he  would  have 
some  fires  kindled  in  the  brick  ovens  that 
warmed  the  pavilion.  They  were  pleased  to 
hear  it  then,  but  when  the  promise  was  ful- 


250  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

filled,  the  result  was  by  no  means  the  enjoy- 
ment anticipated.  Either  O-to-ri  was  lavish 
with  fuel,  hoping  to  please  them,  or  the  cold 
was  not  so  great  as  imagined  ; at  any  rate  the 
small  apartments  soon  became  almost  unbear- 
able with  heat. 

“ I think  they  must  intend  to  roast  us  and 
serve  us  as  a meal  for  the  haughty  monk  ! ” 
exclaimed  Arthur,  as  he  mopped  away  with 
his  handkerchief  at  the  perspiration  trickling 
down  his  cheeks. 

“ You  must  keep  your  windows  closed,  hon- 
orable sirs/’  had  been  O-to-ri ’s  parting  injunc- 
tion. “ There  are  tigers  on  the  mountains, 
and  they  sometimes  are  bold  enough  at  night 
to  make  visits  to  the  monastery.” 

Sarah  greeted  this  announcement  with  a 
nervous  little  squeak,  and  after  it  began  to 
grow  so  uncomfortably  warm  declared  to 
Margaret  that  she  would  never  consent  to  have 
their  window  opened  if  she  turned  to  a puddle 
of  grease.  Despite  the  temperature  of  the 
room,  Sarah  dropped  off  to  sleep.  She  was 
thoroughly  exhausted  by  the  excitement  of 
the  day  and  the  hard  climb  of  the  hill. 

But  Margaret  could  not  sleep.  The  atmos- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  251 

phere  of  the  apartment  was  almost  stifling. 
She  heard  the  boys  open  their  window, 
and  was  sure  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  had 
done  the  same.  She  felt  that  she  must  have 
a few  breaths  of  pure  air,  tigers  or  no 
tigers. 

“ But  I will  not  leave  the  window  unguarded 
after  it  is  opened,”  she  resolved.  “ I will  keep 
careful  watch  until  it  is  closed  again.” 

The  night  was  now  well  advanced.  The 
bell,  which  they  had  been  told  rang  at  nine 
o’clock  for  the  retirement  of  the  monks,  had 
sent  forth  its  warning  boom  fully  two  hours 
before.  All  was  now  silent  in  and  around  the 
monastery. 

The  rush  of  pure,  cold  air  as  Margaret 
opened  the  window  was  delightful.  She 
leaned  far  out,  desiring  to  have  its  full  re- 
freshment. As  she  did  so,  a noise  startled 
her.  Some  one,  it  seemed,  had  stumbled 
against  a pile  of  blocks  the  carpenters  had  left 
from  a great  pine  they  had  been  sawing  into 
lumber.  Margaret’s  first  thought  was  natu- 
rally of  tigers,  and  she  was  about  to  close  the 
window  hastily,  thinking  that  one  of  the 
dreaded  beasts  had  really  come,  when  a second 


252  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

glance  showed  her  that  the  form,  now  right- 
ing itself,  was  that  of  a man. 

The  moon  was  shining  clearly  and  there 
were  no  shadows  falling  upon  this  particular 
spot.  As  the  man  recovered  his  balance  and 
turned  his  face  toward  the  window,  Margaret 
almost  cried  out  in  her  astonishment.  The 
face  was  that  of  Myo-Sang ! There  could  be 
no  mistake  about  it.  He  was  no  more  than 
five  paces  from  the  window.  His  hat  had 
fallen  off,  and  he  was  looking  straight  at 
Margaret. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  STARTLING  EFFECT  OF  A NAME 

It  was  Myo  beyond  a doubt.  For  one  mo- 
ment he  stood  gazing  fixedly  at  Margaret. 
Then  he  started  forward  as  though  he  would 
approach  the  window  and  address  her ; but, 
seemingly  haying  changed  his  mind,  he  turned 
hastily  away,  muttering,  “ Wait ! Wait ! ” 

Margaret  was  so  startled  by  this  sudden  ap- 
pearance of  Myo,  whom  she  had  fully  believed 
dead,  that  she  stood  motionless  and  voiceless, 
though  longing  to  call  out  to  him.  How  had 
he  managed  to  escape  when  no  trace  of  him 
had  been  seen,  and  all  believed  him  dead? 
But  ere  she  could  address  Myo,  he  had  dis- 
appeared. 

“ He  will  no  doubt  come  to  us  in  the  morn- 
ing,” she  said  to  herself  as  she  closed  the 
window.  “ He  must  have  met  with  very  try- 
ing experiences,  and  has  been  greatly  delayed 
in  reaching  the  monastery.  I hope  he  will 
find  a comfortable  shelter  for  the  night,  poor 
fellow  ! ” 


253 


254  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Sarah  was  sleeping  soundly.  The  outside 
air,  entering  by  the  open  window,  had  cooled 
the  room  considerably.  The  fires,  too,  must 
have  abated,  for  the  temperature  was  decidedly 
more  endurable. 

Margaret,  however,  could  not  sleep,  though 
her  eyelids  were  heavy  and  her  limbs  ached. 
Her  mind  was  filled  with  exciting  thoughts 
and  suspicions.  But  she  hesitated  to  mention 
them  to  the  others,  especially  to  Arthur.  He 
would  be  sure  to  exclaim,  as  he  had  done  on 
other  occasions,  “ Such  vivid  imagination  as 
girls  do  have  ! ” 

She  had  but  little  more  than  dropped  into 
fitful  slumber,  when  the  great  booming  of  the 
monastery  bell,  rung  at  four  o’clock  for  the 
arousing  of  the  priests,  awakened  her  with  a 
start.  Sarah,  too,  awoke  with  a sharp  scream. 

“ Oh,  what  is  that  ? ” she  cried,  wildly  clutch- 
ing Margaret.  “ Has  the  roof  fallen  in,  or  is 
it  an  earthquake?  ” 

“ Neither,”  smiled  Margaret  reassuringly. 
“ It  is  the  bell  calling  the  priests  to  services  in 
the  temple.  Buddhism,  you  know,  is  very 
devotional.  Even  the  boys  are  taught  to  re- 
member that  * prayer  is  better  than  sleep.’  ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  255 


The  bell  had  no  sooner  ceased  its  booming, 
than  a number  of  other  bells  of  varied  sizes, 
and  running  the  full  gamut  of  tone,  took  up 
the  chorus.  As  though  to  add  as  much  as 
possible  to  the  din,  numerous  cymbals  and 
gongs  were  being  beaten. 

Margaret  heard  the  boys  grumbling  in  the 
next  apartment  and  Arthur’s  voice  raised 
high  above  the  others  in  vigorous  protest. 

“ What  an  outrageous  din ! How  can  a 
fellow  sleep?  ” 

After  this  commotion  ceased  and  all  was 
quiet  again,  save  the  far-away  droning  of 
the  priests  as  they  chanted  the  praises  of 
Buddha,  Margaret  fell  into  heavy  slumber, 
and  did  not  awaken  therefrom  until  the  sun 
was  slanting  full  through  the  window,  which 
Sarah  had  opened. 

Margaret  arose  and  dressed  hastily,  then 
made  her  way  to  the  apartment  where  the 
others  were  already  assembled  for  breakfast. 

“ Here  is  our  sleeping  princess  at  last ! ” 
cried  Arthur.  “ It  is  something  unusual, 
Meg,  for  you  to  be  the  last  one  up.” 

“ I did  not  sleep  at  all  the  first  part  of  the 
night,”  said  Margaret  somewhat  wearily  as 


256  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

she  passed  her  hand  over  her  eyes,  the  lids  of 
which  still  had  a dull,  heavy  ache. 

“ Came  near  being  roasted,  I suppose,”  ex- 
claimed Arthur  again.  “ Now,  why  didn’t 
you  girls  have  courage  enough,  yes,  and  com- 
mon sense,  too,”  he  added  somewhat  patroniz- 
ingly, “ to  have  opened  your  window,  for  a 
while  at  least,  tigers  or  no  tigers.” 

“ I did  open  it,”  replied  Margaret  quietly ; 
“ and  kept  it  open  until  the  room  became  con- 
siderably cooled.” 

Sarah  started  up  with  a little  protesting 
cry. 

“ Oh,  Meg,  how  dared  you  ? And  to  think 
I didn’t  know  it ! Now  suppose  the  tigers 
had  come?  ” 

“ But  as  you  did  not  know  it,  but  slept 
soundly  through  it  all,  and  no  tigers  appeared, 
why  should  you  care  now  ? ” asked  Margaret 

slyly. 

“ I am  sure  you  two  girls  are  hungry  enough 
this  morning,”  remarked  Wilbur  with  a smile, 
“to  do  justice  to  the  fowls  which  Min  has 
prepared.” 

“ Min  is  a jewel ! ” declared  Arthur,  his 
eyes  in  a glow.  “ The  way  he  clung  to  that 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  257 

coop  of  fowls  through  everything,  the  stares 
and  protests  of  the  priests,  and  their  refusal  to 
allow  him  to  come  through  the  temple 
^grounds — compelling  him  to  go  around  by  the 
back  way — deserve  our  unbounded  gratitude. 
Min,  old  fellow,”  making  a profound  bow  to 
the  smiling  young  Chinese,  “ if  I were  the 
king,  you  should  be  invested  with  the  highest 
insignia  of  rank  before  night/’ 

“ Min  declares  that  the  priests  themselves 
keep  fowls  and  goats,”  said  Stephen,  “ that  he 
saw  them  as  he  went  around  the  premises ; in 
pens  and  coops  at  two  or  three  places,  as 
though  they  were  waiting  to  be  killed.” 

“ I knew  those  fat,  well-fed  looking  old 
monks  could  not  subsist  on  fare  like  this 
alone,”  declared  Arthur,  as  he  pointed  to  the 
fruit,  honey  and  wheaten  cakes  that  had  been 
served  them  for  breakfast. 

“ I am  sorry  you  did  not  sleep  well,  my 
daughter,”  Mr.  Vance  said  solicitously  to  Mar- 
garet, as  he  made  a place  for  her  on  the  mat 
beside  him. 

“ I am  afraid  my  brain  was  too  active,”  she 
replied,  giving  him  a reassuring  smile.  “ Be- 
sides,” she  raised  her  voice  now,  and  looked 


258  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

around  upon  those  gathered  about  the  repast, 
“ I had  the  shock  of  seeing  a most  unexpected 
visitor.” 

“ Not  a tiger?  ” squeaked  Sarah.  “ O Mar- 
garet Vance,  you  said ” 

“Who  was  the  visitor?”  asked  her  father 
suddenly.  “ Surely  no  one  came  to  the  pa- 
vilion after  we  had  retired,  and  we  knew 
nothing  of  it ! ” 

“ It  was  no  one  who  came  within  the  pa- 
vilion, father,  or  even  quite  to  it.  This  visitor 
lingered  without,  but  as  I was  standing  beside 
the  open  window,  and  he  was  no  more  than 
five  or  six  yards  away,  I saw  him  quite  plainly. 
It  was  Myo  ! ” 

Had  she  sent  a stone  rattling  down  among 
the  platters  before  them,  they  could  not  have 
been  more  astonished. 

“ Myo  ! ” ejaculated  Arthur.  “ Why,  Myo 
was  drowned  in  the  Han ! Oh,  pshaw,  Meg, 
you  were  dreaming.  The  heat  turned  your 
head.” 

“ No,  I was  not,  Arthur.  I assure  you,  I 
was  as  wide  awake  as  I am  at  this  moment. 
It  was  Myo  plain  enough.  He  stumbled  over 
a pile  of  wood  as  he  came  toward  the  window, 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  259 

and  that  first  attracted  my  attention  to  him. 
At  first  he  seemed  to  wish  to  talk  to  me. 
Then  he  suddenly  seemed  to  change  his  mind, 
and  moved  away,  muttering,  ‘ Wait ! Wait ! ’ 
I was  too  astonished  to  call  to  him.” 

“ It  was  Myo,  sure  enough,  I am  satisfied,” 
spoke  Mr.  Vance.  “ Margaret  could  not  give 
so  clear  an  account  as  this  if  she  had  been  only 
dreaming.” 

“It  was  Myo  beyond  a doubt,”  reasserted 
Margaret.  “ His  hat  was  off  and  I saw  his 
features  plainly.” 

“ Then  of  course  he  escaped  drowning  in 
the  Han,”  remarked  Dr.  Griffin,  “ but  it  seems 
miraculous.” 

“ The  old  boatman  knew  every  current  in 
the  Han,”  replied  Mr.  Vance.  “ He  told  me 
so  again  and  again.  He  no  doubt  took  ad- 
vantage of  one  that  encircled  the  rapids  and 
so  got  himself  out.” 

“ If  it  is  Myo,”  said  Dr.  Griffin  again,  “ and 
there  no  longer  seems  a doubt  of  it,”  here  he 
bowed  to  Margaret,  “ he  will  surely  not  be 
long  in  making  a visit  to  us.” 

“ Certainly  such  must  be  his  intention,”  Mr. 
Vance  replied  quickly,  “ or  he  would  not  have 


260  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


sought  the  monastery.  He  would  have  fol- 
lowed the  others  to  the  village.” 

“ I am  glad  the  old  fellow  has  turned  up 
again,”  said  Arthur.  “ I certainly  was  sorry 
to  think  he  had  been  drowned.  And  he  can 
help  us  with  our  new  arrangements  better 
than  any  one  else.” 

“ That  he  can,”  agreed  Dr.  Griffin.  “ I was 
just  wondering  how  we  were  going  to  manage 
without  Myo.” 

They  now  began  to  talk  over  their  plans. 
Of  course,  the  trip  into  the  Diamond  Moun- 
tain section  would  have  to  be  abandoned,  as 
they  had  lost  their  supplies,  their  bedding, 
and  most  of  their  clothing.  Fortunately, 
owing  to  Kang’s  foresight,  each  had  two 
changes  of  underclothing,  which  would  have 
to  do  them  until  they  got  back  to  Seoul.  In 
addition  Wilbur  had  saved  his  rifle,  Arthur 
had  his  camera,  Margaret  her  guitar,  and  Mr. 
Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  certain  of  their  effects 
which  they  prized  highly,  and  an  amount  of 
money  now  doubly  valuable  in  their  present 
straits. 

The  plan  finally  settled  upon  was  to  send 
Myo  to  Nang-chon,  instructing  him  to  stop 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  261 


by  the  way  for  Kang  and  the  other  boatmen. 
At  this  large  town  there  would  assuredly  be  an 
opportunity  to  secure  such  a sampan  as  they 
desired  for  the  homeward  trip.  If  not,  then 
they  would  have  to  fall  back  upon  the  service 
of  ponies. 

A day  or  so  later  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin 
would  go  to  Nang-chon  themselves,  not  only 
to  look  at  the  sampan  secured,  but  to  perfect 
the  arrangements  for  a return  to  the  village 
where  young  Walter  Griffin’s  easel  and  the  flag 
of  the  Philippa  had  been  found.  They  also 
intended,  if  it  could  possibly  be  arranged,  to 
visit  the  monastery  further  up  the  Han,  where, 
it  was  believed,  Walter  Griffin  had  spent 
several  days  ere  setting  out  on  his  return  to 
Seoul. 

Dr.  Griffin’s  heart  burned  with  the  desire  to 
learn  more  of  the  last  days  of  his  brother,  and 
who  could  blame  him?  Certainly  not  one  of 
those  who  now  discussed  with  hushed  voices 
the  probability  of  finding  that  lonely  grave  on 
the  Han.  At  the  time  of  Dr.  Griffin’s  first 
visit  it  had  been  asserted  by  more  than  one  of 
those  he  examined  that  young  Walter  Griffin’s 
body  had  been  found  and  interred  ashore. 


262  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Just  where  the  spot  was,  however,  no  one 
could  say  definitely. 

Moment  after  moment  passed,  and  still  Myo 
did  not  come.  Finally  Wilbur  and  Arthur 
declared  they  were  going  to  look  for  him.  If 
he  were  anywhere  on  the  monastery  grounds, 
they  would  search  until  they  found  him.  It 
was  a shame  for  him  to  tantalize  them  so. 

In  an  hour’s  time,  however,  they  returned 
looking  much  crestfallen.  They  had  searched 
everywhere  they  had  been  permitted,  and  had 
made  close  enquiries  of  several.  No  one  had 
seen  Myo  or  knew  of  his  present  where- 
abouts. 

“ Margaret  Vance,”  declared  Arthur,  as  he 
turned  toward  her  with  a comical  expression, 
“ if  you  did  not  have  as  steady  a head  as  that 
of  any  girl  living ” 

“ Wh}'  not  add,  ‘ or  boy  either/  ” suggested 
Wilbur  with  a twinkle  of  the  eye. 

“ Well,  then,”  resumed  Arthur,  “ as  steady 
a head  as  that  of  any  boy  living,  myself  and 
Mr.  Ames  included,”  with  an  overwhelming 
bow  to  Wilbur,  “ I would  say  that  last  night 
it  was,  with  reference  to  Myo,  as  wobbly  as  a 
wheel  without  a washer.  But  I suppose  you 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  263 

really  did  see  him,”  he  added,  dropping  his 
bantering  tone. 

“ Thank  you,  Arthur,  for  the  confidence.  I 
did  see  Myo,  and  as  plainly  as  I see  you  now/’ 
Margaret  replied  earnestly. 

“ Then  where  in  the  world  has  the  old  cur- 
mudgeon gone  ? ” cried  Arthur  in  disgust. 

“ He  may  be  sleeping  the  sleep  of  exhaus- 
tion in  some  secluded  portion  of  the  grounds,” 
Mr.  Vance  suggested,  “ and  thus  no  one  has 
seen  him.  But,  Arthur,”  he  added  reprov- 
ingly, “ you  should  speak  more  respectfully  of 
Myo.” 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  san-tong  sent  to  say 
that  he  was  ready  for  the  audience  with  Mr. 
Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin.  Wilbur,  Arthur  and 
Stephen  had  already  gone  with  O-to-ri  and 
another  young  priest,  for  a point  a mile  or  so 
away,  whence,  they  had  been  assured,  was  ob- 
tainable the  most  magnificent  view  in  Korea 
outside  the  Diamond  Mountain  region. 

Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  at  length  went 
away,  leaving  Min  to  take  care  of  the  girls. 

A spirit  of  restlessness  took  possession  of 
Margaret.  She  longed  to  be  out  of  doors. 
For  one  thing,  the  towering  mountain  peaks, 


264  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

of  which  she  had  so  far  had  only  tantalizing 
glimpses,  tempted  her ; for  another,  she  some- 
how had  the  feeling  that  she  would  be  more 
successful  than  Wilbur  and  Arthur  in  the 
search  for  Myo. 

Strange  feelings  had  begun  of  late  to  occupy 
Margaret’s  heart  with  reference  to  Myo.  There 
were  questions  she  wanted  to  ask,  yet  she 
dreaded  to  approach  the  subject,  fearing  she 
would  not  do  so  with  the  wisdom  and  tact 
necessary  to  the  success  for  which  she  hoped. 
Yet  if  she  could  now  find  Myo,  kindness  and 
persuasion  might  accomplish  what  even  wis- 
dom could  not. 

She  looked  in  upon  Sarah  to  find  that  she 
had  gone  off  into  a sound  slumber.  Min 
could  be  trusted,  she  knew.  He  was  loyalty 
itself.  After  telling  him  she  was  going  only 
for  a walk  about  the  grounds,  and  that  she 
would  not  be  long  away,  Margaret  picked  up 
her  hat  and  started  forth. 

The  pavilion  stood  in  a grove  of  pine  and 
chestnut  trees,  somewhat  remote  from  the 
buildings,  yet  within  a stone’s  throw  of  one 
wing  of  the  monastery.  Margaret  was  more 
than  ever  impressed  by  the  massiveness  of  this 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  265 

building.  It  was  erected  solidly  of  stone,  and 
looked  like  a frowning  fortress,  although  the 
painted  carvings  and  gilded  decorations  took 
away  somewhat  from  its  grimness.  It  con- 
sisted of  a main  structure  and  two  wings. 
She  afterward  learned  that  the  central  por- 
tion had  been  the  original  monastery  build- 
ing, and  was  more  than  a thousand  years  old. 
The  wings  had  been  added  some  centuries 
later. 

Margaret  crossed  a portion  of  the  grounds, 
not  caring  to  go  too  near  the  monastery  or  the 
cluster  of  temples.  The  premises  presented  a 
stirring  scene ; monks,  novices,  servants  and 
various  hangers-on  were  passing  to  and  fro. 
Carpenters  were  busy  about  the  grounds  and 
there  was  also  the  ring  of  hammer  and  anvil. 
She  had  a better  view  now  of  the  nunnery, 
which  was  toward  the  rear  of  the  grounds, 
and  she  also  had  a glimpse  of  a group  of  nuns 
not  far  away. 

Margaret  walked  on  past  the  bell  house, 
where,  surrounded  by  an  entanglement  of 
dragons  of  the  most  diabolical  appearance,  re- 
posed the  great  bronze  bell,  which  had  sent 
forth  its  warning  tones  to  waken  the  sleeping 


266  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


monks  and  nuns  for  more  than  five  hundred 
years. 

Just  beyond  the  bell  house  a vision  of  in- 
describable beauty  suddenly  revealed  itself  to 
Margaret.  She  stepped  back,  startled  out  of 
composure  by  the  awe-inspiring  grandeur,  the 
sylvan  loveliness  of  the  scene  before  her.  She 
was  standing  not  far  from  the  edge  of  a gorge. 
Below  she  could  hear  the  plunge  and  roar  of 
a torrent.  A great  space  was  opened  out  be- 
fore her,  about  and  above  which  towered 
jagged  mountain  peaks.  Their  summits  were 
crowned  by  the  green  glory  of  woods,  while 
their  sides  were  gleaming  granite  walls,  along 
which  wild  flowers  of  every  conceivable  hue 
were  hanging  in  rich  masses  of  bloom,  and 
adown  which  silvery  cascades  leaped  to  the 
valley  below. 

Margaret’s  hands  were  still  clasped  and  she 
stood  as  one  entranced,  when  a voice  spoke 
her  name.  It  was  faint  at  first,  but  much 
more  distinct  the  second  time. 

She  turned  her  head  quickly.  There  but  a 
few  paces  away  stood  Myo.  His  clothing  was 
torn  and  bedraggled ; his  face  drawn  and 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  267 

haggard.  Altogether  he  presented  a most 
pitiable  appearance. 

Margaret  stepped  swiftly  toward  him. 

“ O Myo,  is  it  really  you  ? ” she  said 
earnestly.  “ How  glad  I am  to  know  you 
were  not  drowned  as  we  feared.” 

“ It  was  dreadful ! ” he  said  in  thin,  quak- 
ing voice.  “ The  demons  were  there  ; I saw 
them,  O scores  of  them  ! And  there  was  one, 
too,  with  gaunt,  white  hands.  He  tried  to 
seize  me  even  after  I had  found  the  safer 
current  that  I knew.” 

“ But  how  did  you  at  length  escape?  ” 

She  came  nearer  in  her  earnestness.  It  was 
impossible  for  him  not  to  note  her  interest. 

“ I swam  to  the  cave.  I knew  it  was  there. 
Then  I dragged  myself  along  the  rocks  till  I 
came  to  a landing.” 

The  cave  that  served  as  an  entrance  to  the 
underground  stream  ! Then  he,  too,  knew  of 
it. 

She  was  about  to  ask  a question  when  he 
interrupted  her.  He  bent  nearer.  His  face 
grew  even  ghastlier.  In  his  eyes  was  a hunted 
look,  one  of  terror  shadowed  by  despair. 

“ Tell  the  man  who  cures,”  he  said  in 


268  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


broken  sentences  and  between  little  gasps 
for  breath,  “ his  brother — not  in — sampan — 
when  it  went — down — on  Han.  He  died — at 
monastery ! ” 

He  turned  even  before  the  last  sentence 
was  finished  and  began  to  walk  rapidly  away. 

Margaret  sprang  after  him.  She  caught  his 
hand. 

“ Which  monastery,  Myo?  ” she  besought. 

But  he  gave  her  no  answer. 

Again  she  entreated  of  him  the  name  of  the 
monastery  where  Walter  Griffin  had  died, 
and  still  he  was  silent. 

Suddenly  he  pulled  away  from  her,  tottered 
a few  steps,  then  fell  to  his  knees  and  sat 
there  rocking  himself  to  and  fro. 

Margaret  stood  looking  at  him  a moment. 
A sudden  inspiration  seized  her. 

“ Won-su  ! ” she  said.  “ Won-su  ! ” 

He  sprang  up  at  the  first  utterance  of 
the  name  like  an  animal  that  had  received 
its  death  wound.  Then  with  a cry  that 
chilled  her  blood  he  dashed  headlong  to- 
ward the  bluff.  Ere  she  could  do  aught 
to  prevent  him,  he  went  over  it,  plunging 
downward  with  a crash  it  sickened  her  to  hear. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


LITTLE  GOLDEN  RIVER 

Margaret  sped  swiftly  for  help.  It  was 
several  minutes  ere  the  searchers  found  Myo, 
owing  to  the  precipitous  nature  of  the  bluff. 
He  was  lying  upon  a ledge  some  twenty-five 
or  thirty  feet  below  the  spot  whence  he  had 
fallen,  and  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  dis- 
cover that  he  was  unconscious  from  the  shock. 
No  doubt  he  had  also  been  severely  injured 
internally.  He  moaned  piteously  as  the 
hands  of  the  stout  young  priests  raised  him. 
His  fall  had  been  considerably  broken  by  the 
overhanging  shrubbery,  and  by  the  soft  bed 
of  moss  covering  the  ledge  on  which  he  had 
finally  lodged  ; otherwise,  he  must  have  been 
killed  outright. 

Margaret  lingered  until  she  saw  him  carried 
off  to  one  of  the  apartments,  where  numerous 
beneficiaries  of  the  monastery  were  lodged. 
She  was  sure  the  priests  would  do  all  they 
could  for  him. 


269 


270  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


She  turned  away  at  last,  her  mind  in  a tu- 
mult. The  test  she  had  essayed  had  sent  the 
arrow  home  to  the  mark.  A suspicion  that 
for  the  last  two  days  had  been  vaguely  form- 
ing in  her  mind  had  in  a twinkling,  as  it 
were,  come  forth  full  fledged.  She  had  called 
Myo  by  the  name  of  Walter  Griffin’s  serving 
man,  he  who  had  been  with  him  on  that  last 
and  fatal  trip  up  the  Han.  The  sudden  ter- 
ror with  which  the  name  had  inspired  Myo 
and  his  strange  wild  conduct  immediately  fol- 
lowing had  given  her  the  answer.  Yet  what 
cause  had  he  to  act  in  that  strange  way  ? Mr. 
Walter  had  always  written  of  him  in  the 
highest  terms.  He  had  picked  him  up  on 
that  last  journey,  not  long  after  leaving  Seoul, 
and  the  young  artist’s  letters  had  been  full  of 
the  devotion  of  his  servant  Won-su.  It  cer- 
tainly was  very  queer. 

At  last  Margaret  had  one  link  in  the  chain  ! 
Would  she  be  able  to  fasten  it  to  another? 
In  all  probability  she  would,  if  Myo  regained 
consciousness. 

On  reaching  the  pavilion  Margaret  was 
thankful  to  find  Sarah  still  asleep.  She  did 
not  feel  like  talking  to  any  one  at  that  mo- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  271 

ment.  She  picked  up  a book  that  Stephen 
had  thoughtfully  brought  from  the  sampan, 
but  not  a word  could  she  read  intelligibly. 
Each  time  she  attempted  it  there  came  up  be- 
fore her  instead  the  startling  words  Myo  had 
spoken,  “ Tell  the  man  who  cures  that  his 
brother  was  not  in  the  sampan  when  it  went 
down  in  the  Han.  He  died  at  the  monas- 
tery ! ” But  which  monastery  ? 

While  she  was  still  gazing  at  the  same 
page  on  which  her  eyes  had  been  riveted 
for  the  past  ten  minutes,  the  boys  came  in. 
They  were  enthusiastic  over  the  magnificent 
view. 

“ It  is  too  bad,  Meg,  you  can’t  see  it,”  said 
Arthur.  “ There  is  so  much  climbing  to  be 
done.  Now,  if  you  were  only  a boy ” 

“ I wouldn’t  have  her  one  for  anything,” 
declared  Stephen  as  he  kissed  her. 

“ Nor  I,”  added  Wilbur  heartily.  “ She  is 
best  as  she  is.” 

“ But  there  are  so  many  fine  things  girls 
miss,”  reminded  Arthur.  “ O it  seems  to  me 
it  is  a dreadful  cross  to  be  a girl ! ” and  he 
looked  at  Margaret  and  Sarah  with  the  utmost 
commiseration. 


272  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“Do  you  really  think  so,  Arthur ?”  asked 
Margaret  with  a smile. 

Ere  Arthur  could  reply  Stephen  broke  in, 

“ O Margaret,  what  do  you  think  ? There 
is  a marble  pagoda  here  that  is  almost  exactly 
like  the  one  in  Seoul.  ” 

“ It  was  built  in  imitation  of  it,  in  fact,” 
added  Arthur.  “ O-to-ri  took  us  to  see  it.  It 
is  in  a remote  part  of  the  grounds  and  none 
but  the  abbot,  sub-abbot  and  priests  of  a cer- 
tain order  are  allowed  to  enter  it.  Sacrifices 
are  offered  there,  and  all  sorts  of  libations 
poured.” 

“ The  strange  part  is  that  it  has  no  entrance 
from  the  outside,”  chimed  in  Stephen. 
“ There  is  an  underground  passage,  and  you 
go  down  to  the  head  of  this  passage  by  way 
of  one  of  the  corridors  of  the  monastery.  In 
fact,  it  has  all  sorts  of  mysteries  connected 
with  it,  the  passageway,  I mean.” 

“ Why,  what  a strange  idea ! ” exclaimed 
Margaret. 

“It  is  done  because  the  pagoda  is  regarded 
as  a most  sacred  place,”  said  Wilbur.  “ The 
young  Japanese  priest,  O-to-ri,  told  us  that  it 
was  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  pagoda 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  273 

that  a mighty  female  dragon  alighted  nearly 
a thousand  years  ago.” 

“ What  is  this  about  a dragon  ? ” asked 
Sarah,  as  she  entered  at  this  moment,  looking 
very  much  refreshed  by  her  morning’s  nap. 

She  was  told  of  the  pagoda  and  of  the 
legend  connected  with  its  building. 

“ Oh,  the  marble  pagoda  ! ” she  exclaimed, 
“ the  place  where  Meg  saw  the  man  with  the 
amber  eyes  who  acted  so  queerly.  Why,”  she 
broke  off  with  a sudden  little  cry,  “ the  man 
was  Myo,  to  be  sure  ! How  stupid  of  me  not 
to  remember  at  once.” 

“ I have  wondered  many  times  what  it  was 
he  had  concealed  there,”  said  Arthur. 

“ Some  treasure,  no  doubt,”  replied  Wilbur. 
“ You  remember  Dr.  Griffin  told  us  that  in- 
formation given  him  concerning  the  old  pole- 
man  was  to  the  effect  that  he  had  for  some 
time  been  in  haste  to  get  rich.” 

“ That  reminds  me,”  cried  Arthur  suddenly. 
“ What  has  become  of  Myo  ? ” 

“ Myo  is  here,  Arthur,”  Margaret  answered. 
“ I have  seen  him  again,  and  a dreadful  thing 
has  happened.” 

Thereupon  she  told  them  of  the  accident  to 


274  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Myo,  yet,  for  certain  good  reasons  told  noth- 
ing of  the  discovery  she  had  made  nor  of 
Myo’s  communication.  Before  doing  this  she 
must  see  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin. 

“ Why,  poor  old  fellow  ! ” exclaimed  Ar- 
thur, his  boyish  face  full  of  sympathy.  “ Fm 
truly  sorry  he  has  met  with  an  accident,  and 
I do  hope  it  won’t  prove  fatal.  How  foolish 
of  him  to  go  walking  in  that  fashion  toward 
the  edge  of  the  bluff.” 

While  they  were  still  talking  about  the 
accident  Dr.  Griffin  and  Mr.  Vance  came  in, 
having  finished  the  interview  with  the  sub- 
abbot. 

They,  too,  were  shocked  and  pained  to  hear 
of  Myo’s  terrible  fall,  and  said  they  must  go 
directly  and  see  how  he  was. 

Still  Margaret  gave  no  hint  of  what  had 
passed  between  herself  and  Myo,  since  as  yet 
she  had  had  no  opportunity  to  speak  privately 
with  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin.  If  they  were 
going  to  see  Myo,  she  resolved  that  she  would 
not  say  anything  until  their  return.  No 
doubt  they  would  find  Myo  still  unconscious 
and  it  would  greatly  harrow  Dr.  Griffin’s  feel- 
ings to  know  just  a little,  without  the  oppor- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  275 

tunity  to  learn  more.  Margaret  was  hoping 
with  all  her  heart  that  Myo  would  soon  re- 
cover, and  that  he  himself  would  tell  Dr. 
Griffin  all,  whatever  the  knowledge  was  that 
he  possessed.  One  thing  stood  out  clearly  in 
Margaret’s  mind,  this  one,  at  least,  devoid  of 
the  mist  of  perplexity.  Since  Myo  and  Won- 
su  were  one  and  the  same,  then  he  assuredly 
was  with  Walter  Griffin  during  those  last 
days. 

Both  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  were  loud 
in  their  praises  of  the  san-tong,  or  sub-abbot. 
He  was  a refined,  gentlemanly  man,  with  most 
cordial  manners  and  a benign  air  that  sat  well 
upon  him.  He  had  treated  them  royally,  in- 
sisting that  they  partake  of  food  with  him. 
The  lunch  was  really  palatable,  consisting  of 
rice,  bean  soup,  wheaten  cakes,  pickles,  fruit, 
and  tea.  He  had  assured  them  that  they 
were  quite  welcome  to  stay  at  the  monastery 
as  long  as  their  plans  detained  them.  He 
felt  compelled  to  state,  however,  that  the  ab- 
bot was  expected  now  at  any  day,  and  on  his 
arrival  all  the  affairs  of  the  monastery  passed 
into  his  hands.  Of  course,  he,  the  san-tong, 
could  not  say  just  what  course  the  abbot 


276  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

would  pursue,  but  he  hoped Really 

now,  when  they  came  to  think  of  it,  the  san- 
tong  had  not  made  at  all  clear  just  what  he 
hoped.  It  was  all  very  vague,  in  fact. 

“ The  truth  is,  father,”  spoke  Arthur 
quickly,  “ he  was  quite  too  kind-hearted,  I 
am  sure,  to  tell  you  that  his  hope  was  really 
a fear  that  we  would  be  put  out  bag  and  bag- 
gage so  soon  as  the  chang-sop,  as  they  call  the 
abbot,  returns.” 

“ Why,  what  makes  you  say  that,  Ar- 
thur?” 

“ Because,  sir,  every  one  and  everything 
about  the  place,  man,  beast,  priest,  scullion, 
even  the  san-tong  himself,  stands  in  fear  of 
the  abbot.” 

“ He  does  indeed  seem  to  be  a very  harsh 
and  haughty  person,  uncle,”  said  Wilbur, 
“ with  a rule  like  iron.  I could  see  that 
O-to-ri  himself  is  looking  forward  to  the  ab- 
bot’s return  with  anything  but  pleasure.” 

“ There  is  a certain  ceremony  they  are  going 
to  observe,”  chimed  in  Stephen.  “ Some  parts 
of  it  are  very  secret.  Not  even  the  priests 
themselves  of  O-to-ri’s  rank  are  permitted  to 
be  present  at  some  of  the  rites.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  277 

“ Oh,  what  do  you  think,”  cried  Arthur  sud- 
denly, “ we  are  to  dine  with  the  san-tong  day 
after  to-morrow  ! O-to-ri  himself  told  us.  I 
am  really  alarmed  to  think  I shall  not  be 
able  to  handle  the  hashi  (chop-sticks)  in 
graceful  fashion.” 

“ Why,  what  an  honor  ! ” exclaimed  Mar- 
garet, as  she  bowed  low  in  Japanese  fashion. 

“ Honorable  sirs,  we  are  quite  over- 
whelmed ! ” declared  Sarah,  as  she  brought 
her  forehead  quite  to  the  floor.  “ I fear  the 
san-tong  will  never  be  able  to  survive  it.” 

“ He  has  asked  each  one  of  us,  even  to 
Stephen,”  continued  Arthur,  bowing  in  return 
to  both  Margaret  and  Sarah  in  most  patron- 
izing manner.  “ I know  you  girls  are  just 
dying-  with  envy  because  you  can’t  be  in- 
cluded.” 

“ Don’t  you  see  us  turning  fairly  green  from 
it?”  bantered  Margaret. 

“ It  really  is  too  bad ! ” There  was  deep 
regret  now  in  Arthur’s  tones.  “ I told  you, 
Meg,  no  longer  than  this  very  morning  that 
there  were  many  fine  things  that  girls  missed, 
poor  things  ! because  they  were  girls.” 

“ How  about  the  tine  things  they  do  have, 


278  An  American  Giri  in  Korea 

of  which  boys,  in  their  turn,  know  nothing?” 
asked  Margaret  gently. 

“ Oh,  there  is  no  comparison,”  declared  Ar- 
thur. “ Girls  have  so  many  restrictions. 
There  is  so  much  in  life  they  can’t  enjoy  just 
because  they  are  girls.  Neither  can  they 
show  what  is  really  in  them,  because  there  is 
so  little  opportunity  to ” 

“Exercise  their  talents?”  quizzed  Wil- 
bur. 

“ Well,  pretty  much  that  way.  There  is  no 
use  treating  it  with  fun,”  he  added  warmly. 
“ We  all  know  that  a girl’s  lot  is  in  many  re- 
spects a most  unfortunate  one.” 

“ Poor  girls ! what  an  estimate,”  exclaimed 
Mr.  Vance.  He  said  this  in  a doleful  voice, 
nevertheless,  his  eyes  were  twinkling  as  he 
looked  at  Dr.  Griffin.  “ Yet,”  the  corners  of 
his  mouth  grew  very  sober  again,  “ I have 
heard  more  than  one  wise  man  declare 
that ” 

He  paused,  looking  at  both  Margaret  and 
Sarah  as  though  he  would  like  to  kiss  each  of 
them. 

“ Go  on,  father,”  urged  Arthur.  “ What  is 
it  that  wise  men  say  ? ” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  279 

“ Why,  that  one  girl  is  worth  a dozen  boys 
in  any  market.” 

“ O you  are  a traitor  to  your  own  sex,  sir. 
For  shame ! Now  what  showing,  I would 
like  to  know,  would  a girl  have  alongside  a 
boy  in  some  big  undertaking,  like ” 

“ Climbing  a mountain,  for  instance,”  sug- 
gested Wilbur. 

“ Oh,  you  know  what  I mean,  so  there  is  no 
need  for  chaffing.  Suppose  now  that  there 
was  something  to  be  done  that  required  tact 
and  energy  and  courage ” 

“ And  audacity,”  added  Wilbur  slyly. 

“ Where,  I ask  you,  sir,”  finished  Arthur 
with  a flourish  and  ignoring  Wilbur,  “ would 
a girl  stand  pitted  against  a boy  ? ” 

“ A mile  ahead  of  him ! ” cried  Wilbur. 
“ So  shut  up,  now,  Arthur.  Considering  that 
there  are  two  of  the  injured  sex  in  this  audi- 
ence, you  are  showing  neither  grace  nor  good 
sense,  sir.” 

“ I think  it  is  horrid  of  you,  Arthur,” 
pouted  Sarah,  “ to  speak  so  ungallantly  of 
girls.” 

“ But  I wasn’t  speaking  ungallantly.” 

“ Yes,  you  were.  Everything  you  said  was 


280  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

about  girls  being  inferior  to  boys.  But  for 
Meg’s  tact  and  courage  you  two  boys  would 
even  now  be  lying  in  a Korean  prison.” 

“ Yes,  it  is  both  ungraceful  and  ungrateful 
of  him,”  declared  Wilbur.  “ I advised  you  to 
shut  up,  Arthur,  and  I think  you  had  better 
take  the  advice,  from  pure  shame,  if  for  no 
other  reason.” 

“ But  you  don’t  understand  me,”  persisted 
Arthur,  his  face  flushing.  “ Meg  knows  that 
I am  not  only  appreciative  but  grateful.”  His 
eyes  glowed  with  feeling  now  as  he  looked  at 
his  sister. 

“ He  would  have  us  dress  up  as  soldiers  and 
go  to  the  war,”  remarked  Sarah  in  a comic 
aside  to  Margaret.  “ Shocking  taste,  I must 
say.” 

“ Come,”  said  Wilbur  suddenly,  with  a nod 
toward  Margaret,  “ let  us  go  to  the  temple. 
The  priests  are  beginning  their  prayers,  and  I 
for  one  must  admit  my  curiosity  to  see  their 
mode  of  worship.” 

“But  will  they  permit  us  to  witness  it?” 
asked  Sarah  in  some  surprise. 

“ O yes,  when  it  is  held  in  this  outside 
temple,  any  one  about  the  monastery  is  at 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  281 


liberty  to  attend.  You  will  see  a motley  ar- 
ray of  hangers-on  gathered  there,  the  blind, 
the  lame,  the  sick ; beggars  of  every  age  and 
condition.  Besides,  the  nuns  and  novices 
also  attend,”  he  added  reassuringly.  “ Let  us 
hasten,  or  we  may  miss  something  we  would 
care  most  to  see.” 

Sarah,  however,  declared  that  she  believed 
she  would  not  go,  and  so,  too,  did  Arthur  and 
Stephen  finally.  They  were  tired  out  from 
the  long  tramp  just  taken. 

The  temple,  in  which  the  noon  worship  was 
being  conducted,  stood  just  in  the  rear  of  the 
main  portion  of  the  monastery.  It  was  an 
imposing  building  oblong  in  shape,  with  wings 
and  a lofty  curved  tiled  roof,  deep  eaves  and  a 
mass  of  wood  carving  everywhere  visible. 

It  was  as  Wilbur  had  predicted.  A miscel- 
laneous crowd  was  gathered  within.  Much  of 
the  floor  space  was  occupied  by  kneeling 
forms.  # 

Wilbur  and  Margaret  soon  found  an  un- 
occupied space  beside  one  of  the  massive 
wooden  pillars  that  supported  the  roof  from 
the  inside.  Like  all  the  rest  of  the  temple,  it 
was  elaborately  carved.  Carved  images  were 


282  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

also  lined  in  rows  about  the  walls,  most  of 
them  gilded  or  painted  in  rich  colors. 

The  priests  were  in  the  midst  of  a chant, 
and  smoke  was  rising  from  the  brass  incense 
burners  at  the  altar.  Numerous  bells  were 
also  being  tapped  by  means  of  little  wooden 
mallets  in  the  hands  of  the  priests. 

As  soon  as  Margaret’s  eyes  became  used  to 
the  softened  tone  of  the  light  within,  she  saw 
that  she  and  Wilbur  had  taken  their  places 
beside  a group  of  nuns.  At  another  time 
Wilbur’s  nearness  would  no  doubt  have 
created  something  of  a commotion,  but  as 
the  nuns  were  now  in  the  midst  of  their 
devotions,  no  one  paid  any  attention  to  him. 

Novices  were  also  among  the  nuns,  most  of 
them  kneeling  in  the  rear.  Directly  Margaret 
became  attracted  by  the  face  of  a little  novice 
bending  in  the  act  of  devotion  almost  within 
touch  of  her.  She  was  very  slight  and  girlish, 
and  Margaret  felt  sure  she  was  no  more  than 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age. 

Suddenly  she  became  aware  of  Margaret’s 
gaze  and  their  eyes  met.  A wild  rose  bloom 
stole  into  her  cheeks.  Involuntarily  Margaret 
drew  nearer'  and  touched  her  hand.  The 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  283 

kindly  feeling  was  evident,  and  now  the 
soft  black  eyes  held  a smile,  as  once  more 
they  encountered  Margaret's. 

The  little  maid  was  a Japanese,  Margaret 
was  almost  sure,  yet  the  eyes  were  not  so 
distinctly  almond-shaped  as  is  usual  with 
that  race.  Her  face  was  of  a rich,  cream 
tint,  her  lashes  long,  with  the  slightest  in- 
clination to  curl,  and  there  was  so  much  of 
pleasantness  and  sweetness  in  the  countenance, 
it  really  was  a most  winning  one  to  look  upon.  . _ 

The  chant  grew  wilder,  the  clang  of  the 
bells  had  increased  to  an  ear-splitting  din  as 
the  priests  struck  them  with  more  and  more 
frenzy.  The  smoke  of  the  incense  was  filling 
the  temple,  stifling  now  in  its  fumes.  Mar- 
garet was  rejoiced  when  the  ceremony  came  to 
an  end,  with  a crash  of  bells  and  cymbals  and 
the  deafening  roll  of  drums  that  for  a moment 
seemed  must  through  its  terrific  force  lift  the 
roof  from  the  temple. 

Margaret  managed  to  keep  close  beside  the 
little  maid  as  they  were  going  out.  She  felt 
the  incontrollable  impulse  to  speak  to  her. 
Poor  young  thing  ! her  life  would  be  hard 
enough  after  a while,  when  she  was  shut  away 


284  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

from  so  many  of  the  sweet  things  of  life ! 
Perhaps  even  now  a little  word  kindly  spoken, 
that  showed  another’s  interest  and  sympathy, 
would  fall  as  the  rain-drops  upon  parched 
earth. 

They  had  reached  the  porch  by  this  time 
and  the  little  maid  had  stopped  to  regain  her 
sandals. 

Obeying  a sudden  impulse,  Margaret  put 
her  arm  about  her. 

“ Tell  me  your  name,”  she  said  in  the 
language  she  was  sure  the  little  maid  would 
know. 

She  turned  quickly  to  glance  into  Margaret’s 
face,  her  own  filled  with  surprise  and  pleasure. 

“ They  call  me  Kingen,”  she  said  in  low, 
soft  voice. 

“ Kingen  ! ” It  meant  Golden  River.  How 
appropriate  that  maid  so  attractive  should 
have  a name  so  charming.  Golden  River ! 
How  soft  and  liquid  the  syllables  were. 

“ You  are  not  yet  with  the  nuns  ? ” 

Margaret  glanced  as  she  spoke  at  the  soft 
gray  kimono,  folded  with  such  grace  over  the 
bosom  of  the  little  maid.  Every  part  of  it 
showed  such  scrupulous  care. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  285 

“ No ; most  honorable  lady,  I am  as  yet  but 
a novice  of  the  first  year.” 

Another  question  Margaret  was  about  to 
ask,  but  at  that  moment  her  glance  fell  upon 
something  that  rested  beneath  the  folds  of 
Kingen’s  soft  gray  robe,  one  portion  of  which 
came  up  about  her  throat.  So  amazing  was 
the  sight  that  Margaret  continued  to  stare  at 
it  in  such  a way  that  Wilbur,  reaching  her 
side  at  that  moment,  through  the  crowd  that 
had  temporarily  separated  them,  gazed  at  her 
in  alarm. 

“ Are  you  sick,  Margaret?  ” he  asked. 


CHAPTER  XX 


IN  THE  HALL  OF  THE  FOUR  SAGES 

Wilbur’s  words  brought  Margaret  to  her 
senses.  She  turned  quickly  to  answer  him. 

“ No  ; I am  not  sick.  Do  not  think  that.” 
Then  she  leaned  toward  him,  adding  in  lower 
tones,  “ Wilbur,  there  is  a little  maid  here  to 
whom  I wish  especially  to  speak.  I will  tell 
you  all  about  it  afterward.  As  she  will  no 
doubt  be  very  shy  if  you  remain,  and  be 
tongue-tied  in  consequence,  I would  like  so 
the  opportunity  of  seeing  her  alone  for  a 
little  while.” 

“ Why,  certainly,  Margaret,”  was  the  quick 
and  pleasant  reply.  “ I will  wait  for  you  at 
the  gateway.” 

Most  of  the  worshipers  had  now  regained 
their  sandals  and  passed  from  the  porch. 
Many  paused  to  glance  curiously  at  Mar- 
garet. Nearly  all  of  them  had  heard  of  the 
presence  of  the  foreigners  at  the  monastery 
and  some  of  them  had  already  seen  her.  Their 

286 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  287 

curiosity,  however,  had  not  been  sated,  so  they 
must  needs  stare  at  her  again  full-eyed  as  they 
passed  by  her. 

So  soon  as  Wilbur  had  moved  away  Mar- 
garet said  to  the  little  maid,  Golden  River, 

“ Please  let  me  speak  to  you  a little  while 
where  no  one  else  can  hear.  There  is  some- 
thing I wish  very  much  to  ask  you.” 

Kingen  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

What  could  this  pretty  foreign  girl  have  to 
say  to  her  that  really  was  of  importance  ? It 
seemed  hard  to  believe  that  it  could  be  im- 
portant. Yet  there  was  such  an  earnest  look 
now  in  Margaret’s  eyes,  and  her  manner  said 
so  plainly  that  Kingen  would  oblige  her 
greatly  by  yielding,  that  the  little  maid  could 
no  longer  demur.  Besides,  had  not  this  sweet 
young  girl  been  extremely  friendly  to  her? 
Kingen  could  feel  now  the  soft,  warm  touch 
of  Margaret’s  hand  as  it  lay  upon  hers  for  a 
moment  in  the  temple. 

“ Where  can  we  go  that  no  one  will  hear 
us?”  asked  Margaret. 

“ In  the  grove  at  the  side  of  the  temple,” 
said  Kingen.  “ No  one  is  there  now,  I 
think.” 


288  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


They  found  a secluded  spot  at  the  foot  of  a 
large  oak.  Margaret  sat  down  upon  a project- 
ing root  and  drew  Kingen  beside  her.  For  a 
moment  or  so  timid  little  Golden  River  seemed 
quite  shy  in  this  nearness  to  the  young  for- 
eigner whose  fair  face  and  glossy  hair  had 
rendered  her  almost  breathless  with  admira- 
tion. But  Margaret  managed  so  tactfully  that 
soon  the  little  maid  was  at  ease. 

Suddenly  Margaret  leaned  toward  Kingen, 
and,  touching  a sheeny  silken  scarf  that  lay 
tucked  between  the  demure  folds  of  the  gray 
kimono,  said, 

“ Tell  me,  dear  little  Golden  River,  where  is 
he  who  gave  you  this  ? ” 

It  was  almost  as  bold  a stroke  as  she  had 
used  with  Myo,  though  extreme  gentleness  and 
kindness  were  in  the  voice  in  which  she  now 
spoke  to  Kingen.  The  tones  were  clear  and 
soft,  yet  Margaret’s  heart  was  in  a tumult,  for 
the  scarf  resting  between  the  folds  of  the  little 
Japanese  maid’s  kimono  was  one  Margaret  had 
often  seen  Walter  Griffin  wear.  A friend  had 
brought  it  to  him  from  France,  and  Margaret 
herself  had  worked  the  initials,  one  of  which 
was  now  showing  plainly. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  289 

“ Do  you  mean  the  noble  lord  who  was  a 
great  artist,  whose  pictures  said  words  to  you 
when  you  looked  at  them  ? ” asked  the  little 
maid  sadly. 

“ Yes,”  replied  Margaret  eagerly,  “ it  is  he  I 
mean.” 

She  was  rejoiced  to  have  arrived  so  speedily 
at  the  heart  of  the  matter. 

“ He  is  dead,”  said  Kingen,  and  now  a mist 
came  into  her  eyes  and  her  lips  trembled. 
“ The  river  swallowed  him  up.  O,  it  was 
dreadful ! ” 

The  little  maid  hid  her  face  in  the  sleeve 
of  her  kimono  and  a sob  shook  her  frame. 

“ Can  this  really  be  true,  Kingen  ? Are 
you  sure  he  was  drowned  in  the  river  ? May 
you  not  be  mistaken  ? ” 

Perplexity  suddenly  shadowed  Margaret’s 
joy.  How  was  she  to  reconcile  this  statement 
with  that  of  Myo,  that  Walter  Griffin  had  died 
at  a monastery? 

“ Oh,  no ; O no,”  replied  Kingen ; “ I am 
not  mistaken.  With  my  own  eyes  I saw  him 
go  away.  He  was  very  gay.  They  said  he 
had  been  very  fortunate  in  digging  treasure 
out  of  the  great  hill,  Nippoo-san,  and  that  he 


290  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

was  going  back  to  his  friends  in  Seoul,  and  to 
one  he  loved  better  than  all  others,  to  share 
with  them  his  good  fortune.  He  smiled  and 
swung  his  cap  to  me,  and  cried  out  that  I must 
not  forget  him,  that  even  if  I had  the  mind  to 
do  it,  the  scarf  would  not  let  me.  He  had 
given  it  to  me  only  the  day  before.  He  was 
pleased  to  think  I had  done  him  some  service 
in  cooking  him  the  things  he  liked  on  the 
brazier,  as  my  mother  taught  me.  He  knew 
I admired  the  scarf,  for  I had  told  him  how 
beautiful  it  was. 

“ I was  only  a little  maid  then,”  continued 
Golden  River,  raising  her  face,  on  the  cheeks 
of  which  the  tears  still  sparkled,  “ not  more 
than  twelve.  I am  fifteen  now.” 

All  the  while  Kingen  was  speaking,  Mar- 
garet’s heart  had  been  beating  tumultuously. 
Yes,  truly  here  was  another  link  in  the  chain  ! 
and  in  what  an  astonishing  manner  she  had 
been  enabled  to  find  it.  The  little  maid  spoke 
too  positively  for  her  to  doubt.  Walter  Grif- 
fin had  been  here,  at  this  very  monastery ! 
Golden  River  had  seen  him  and  talked  with 
him ; more  than  this,  she  had  served  him  so 
faithfully  he  had  been  led  to  give  her  the 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  291 

scarf,  which  Margaret  knew  he  valued  highly. 
But  was  it  this  monastery?  Kingen  had  not 
said  so  definitely,  though  to  Margaret  it  seemed 
plainly  to  be  inferred.  The  little  maid,  how- 
ever, soon  set  her  fully  at  rest  on  this  subject. 

The  man  with  the  wonderful  pictures  in  his 
head  had  really  been  here,  at  Chang-an-sa. 
He  had  remained  two  weeks  or  more,  as  well 
as  the  little  maid  could  remember.  It  was  not 
the  first  time,  however,  that  he  had  been  here. 
He  had  painted  many  beautiful  things,  one 
for  her  especially,  which  she  would  show  the 
kind  foreign  lady  if  she  desired  it. 

“ Yes,  Kingen,  I should  like  much  to  see 
it,”  said  Margaret  softly.  “ If  you  do  not 
mind,  I will  come  soon  to  your  apartment,  so 
that  you  can  show  it  to  me.” 

Kingen  said  that  she  did  not  mind,  neither 
would  the  other  novices  who  lodged  with  her. 
The  nuns  were  not  so  very  strict  with  them  as 
yet.  She  really  would  be  pleased  to  have  her 
honorable  friend  make  her  a visit. 

Then  Kingen  went  on  to  tell  Margaret  that 
the  young  man  with  the  pictures  in  his  head, 
who,  she  was  sure,  must  be  a lord  in  his  own 
land,  so  noble  was  his  air,  had  painted  a pic- 


292  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

ture  of  the  chang-sop.  It  hung  in  the  Hall 
of  the  Four  Sages  within  the  monastery,  and 
was  truly  very  wonderful,  so  all  who  saw  it 
declared.  So  perfect  was  the  picture,  the  ab- 
bot seemed  about  to  speak. 

“ Are  foreigners  allowed  to  visit  this  hall, 
Kingen  ? ” asked  Margaret  suddenly. 

“ I do  not  know,”  replied  the  little  maid 
looking  puzzled.  “ They  used  to  be  allowed 
to  enter  it,  but  not  now,  since  the  picture  has 
been  placed  there,  I have  been  told.” 

“ Perhaps  no  foreigners  have  been  here  since 
that  time,  until  we  came,”  suggested  Margaret. 

“Yes,  I am  sure  there  have  been  two  or 
three,”  replied  Kingen  slowly,  “ for  I saw 

them  myself.  The  chang-sop ” 

Here  Kingen  paused,  and,  looking  about 
her  quite  nervously,  lowered  her  voice  as  she 
continued, 

“ The  chang-sop  does  not  wish  foreigners  to 
come.  He  does  not  like  them,  and  says  they 
come  only  to  spy.  He  sent  away  the  young 
lord  who  painted  his  picture  and  almost  as 
soon  as  the  picture  was  finished.” 

“ What  made  him  do  that,  Kingen  ? ” 
Margaret  was  surprised  at  the  sudden  nerv- 


Aa  American  Girl  in  Korea  293 

ousness  with  which  she  awaited  the  little 
maid’s  reply. 

“ I do  not  know,  honorable  lady,  but  I 
think  it  was  because  of  something  the  young 
lord  did  which  the  chang-sop  did  not  like. 
He  is  very  quick  tempered  and  haughty,” 
added  Golden  River,  looking  about  her  again 
apprehensively,  “ not  at  all  like  the  san-tong, 
whom  every  one  loves.” 

A sudden  inspiration  seized  Margaret. 

“ O do  you  think,  little  friend,  Golden 
River,  that  the  san-tong  would  show  us  the 
Hall  of  the  Four  Sages  and  the  picture  which 
the  young  lord,  as  you  call  him,  painted  ? ” 
Kingen’s  face  brightened  suddenly. 

“ I think,  honorable  friend,  that  he  would. 
You  can  but  ask  him.  He  is  very  kind,  and 
I believe  will  not  refuse  you.” 

Golden  River’s  face  as  she  turned  it  toward 
Margaret  said  plainly,  though  her  words  did 
not,  “ How  could  any  one  refuse  you  ? ” 

“ Can  I find  the  san-tong  easily  ? ” asked 
Margaret.  ‘ ‘ Where  is  his  apartment  ? I mean 
the  public  one,  where  visitors  are  received.” 

“ It  is  down  a passageway,  honorable  lady, 
that  leads  from  the  great  main  hall,  about 


294  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

midway  on  the  left,  as  you  enter  from  the 
rear.  It  is  the  third  or  fourth  door  down  the 
passageway,  I have  forgotten  just  which,  but 
there  is  a shrine  of  Gautama  near  the  portal, 
you  can  hardly  miss  it.” 

“ Thank  you,  Kingen,”  said  Margaret  ear- 
nestly as  she  rose  to  go,  and,  drawing  the  lit- 
tle maid  toward  her,  kissed  her  heartily. 
“You  have  been  very  good  and  sweet  to  an- 
swer my  questions  so  freely.  Let  me  tell  you 
now  that  he  about  whom  I have  asked  you 
was  a dear  friend  of  mine,  and  in  our  home 
in  Seoul  lives  the  one  who  was  dearer  to  him 
than  all  others.  It  is  for  her  sake  most  of  all 
that  I have  asked  you  the  questions.” 

“ Oh  ! ” cried  Kingen.  “ Oh  ! ” and  the 
soft  eyes  grew  dewy  with  tears.  “ And  he 
never  came  home  again  ? ” she  asked  wist- 
fully, as  though  there  might  have  been  after 
all  some  miracle  wrought  whereby  he  had 
been  saved  from  a watery  grave. 

“ He  never  came  home  again,”  replied  Mar- 
garet, shaking  her  head  sadly,  and  now  her 
eyes  were  as  misty  as  Kingen ’s  own. 

As  they  walked  slowly  back  toward  the 
front  of  the  temple,  Margaret  said  to  Kingenf 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  295 

“ I shall  come  soon  to  see  the  wonderful 
picture,  little  Golden  River,  you  may  rest  as- 
sured, and  there  is  much  more  I want  to  ask 
you  of  him  who  was  the  friend  of  both.” 

Wilbur  was  just  without  the  gateway  await- 
ing Margaret.  As  she  spied  him,  Golden 
River  tucked  her  head  down  and  passed  de- 
murely by. 

Wilbur  smiled  amusedly,  then  he  turned  to 
ask  of  Margaret, 

“ Did  you  find  the  little  maid  as  interesting 
as  you  hoped,  cousin  ? ” 

“ Even  more  so,”  she  replied  earnestly. 
But  she  was  not  ready  to  tell  Wilbur,  or 
any  other  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
party,  the  story  of  the  startling  developments 
of  the  last  few  hours.  One  false  step  now 
might  frustrate  the  best  laid  plans.  So  she 
went  on, 

“ I am  anxious  to  learn  all  I can  about  this 
particular  monastery,  and  I thought  the  little 
nun  might  tell  me  some  things.  She’s  a dear 
little  thing.” 

If  he  read  beneath  her  assumed  gayety  any- 
thing deeper  than  the  object  she  had  admitted, 
he  gave  no  sign. 


296  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Something  of  a shock  awaited  Margaret  on 
reaching  the  pavilion.  She  was  burning  with 
the  desire  to  unburden  her  heart  to  her  father 
and  Dr.  Griffin  ; she  must  tell  them  all  now 
just  as  soon  as  she  could  do  so  privately. 
What  was  her  consternation,  then,  to  learn 
that  they  had  departed  nearly  an  hour  ago 
for  the  village  four  miles  or  so  up  the  river 
and  on  the  other  side ! The  arrangements 
had  been  made  hurriedly,  they  having  given 
themselves  barely  time  to  partake  of  the 
noonday  meal  ere  departing.  Kang  had 
come  for  them,  appearing  shortly  after  Wil- 
bur and  Margaret  had  started  for  the  temple. 
There  was  some  business,  he  declared,  that 
needed  the  immediate  attention  of  his  em- 
ployers. An  opportunity  had  presented  itself 
to  secure  the  very  sampan  they  needed,  at  an 
astonishingly  low  price,  if  they  acted  at  once. 
But  they  must  perfect  the  arrangements  in 
person,  as  the  owner  refused  to  treat  with  an 
agent.  He  was,  moreover,  in  a great  hurry, 
asserting  that  he  must  leave  the  village  at 
daylight  on  the  morrow,  if  the  bargain  had 
not  been  struck  in  the  meantime. 

Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  lingered 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  297 

only  long  enough  to  partake  of  a hurried 
meal  and  to  make  some  arrangements  that 
would  be  a little  pleasanter  for  Margaret  and 
Sarah.  Two  of  the  nuns  were  to  lodge  in  the 
apartment  next  that  of  the  girls  during  the 
nights  Mr.  Vance  and  Dr.  Griffin  were  away. 
As  the  day  after  the  morrow  would  be  the 
Sabbath,  Mr.  Vance  had  left  a message  for 
Margaret  to  the  effect  that  he  and  Dr.  Griffin 
would  in  all  probability  remain  for  religious 
services  in  the  village. 

Arthur  and  Stephen  had  accompanied  them 
as  far  as  the  river.  They  had  expressed  the 
desire  to  go  all  the  way  to  the  ferry,  where, 
Kang  had  said,  a flatboat  was  waiting  to  take 
them  across,  but  Mr.  Vance  had  declared  they 
must  not  think  of  such  a thing.  He  wanted 
the  boys  to  be  back  at  the  monastery  before 
sunset,  for  they  must  remember  that  to  them 
and  Wilbur  was  assigned  the  important  post 
of  taking  care  of  the  girls. 

Margaret’s  mind  was  in  a state  of  chaos. 
What  was  best  to  do  ? She  had  not  realized 
fully  until  that  moment  just  how  much  she 
had  depended  upon  unburdening  herself  to 
her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin.  Of  course,  they 


298  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


must  know  all,  and  at  once,  she  had  de- 
cided. 

But  now  her  desire  could  not  be  put  into 
effect.  Her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  gone 
away,  and  would  probably  be  absent  until  the 
noon  of  Monday.  In  the  meantime,  what 
should  she  do?  As  that  question  came,  her 
first  thought  was  of  Myo.  There  was  still  the 
perplexity  that  presented  itself  through  his 
statement,  which  directly  conflicted  with  that 
of  Kingen.  Perhaps  Myo  had  recovered  con- 
sciousness. But  this  hope  was  soon  dispelled; 
for,  on  making  enquiry  of  Sarah,  she  learned 
that  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  on  returning 
from  the  visit  to  Myo,  had  stated  that  he  was 
still  the  same.  Dr.  Griffin  had  made  an  ex- 
amination and  expressed  very  little  hope  of 
his  recovery. 

A daring  resolution  took  possession  of  Mar- 
garet. She  had  asked  Kingen  about  the  san- 
tong  and  the  possibility  of  his  granting  her 
permission  to  visit  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages 
to  see  the  wonderful  picture  Walter  Griffin 
had  made  of  the  chang-sop.  All  the  time, 
however,  she  was  far  more  desirous  of  seeing 
the  san-tong  to  ask  him  questions  than  she 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  299 

was  to  seek  permission  for  a view  of  the  pic- 
ture. The  san-tong  was  kind,  he  was  gentle- 
manly, he  was  considerate ; this  much  and 
more  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  had  said  of 
him.  The  little  maid,  too,  had  been  earnest 
in  her  praise.  Surely  she  had  naught  to  fear 
from  the  san-tong,  but  much  to  gain. 

She  looked  at  Wilbur,  who  had  walked 
some  steps  away  to  speak  to  Min.  Should 
she  tell  him  all  and  ask  him  to  attend  her  on 
the  visit  to  the  san-tong  ? A spirit  of  sturdy 
independence  suddenly  seized  Margaret.  She 
had  gone  thus  far  unaided,  why  not  go  fur- 
ther still?  How  astonished  they  would  all 
be  when  they  learned  the  extent  of  her  dis- 
coveries ! 

Margaret’s  thoughts  went  also  to  Sarah. 
She  would  have  liked  Sarah  to  accompany 
her,  but  when  she  recalled  how  easy  she  was 
to  take  alarm,  she  quickly  gave  up  the  desire. 
There  was  really  no  impropriety  in  Margaret’s 
visiting  the  san-tong.  All  ages  and  condi- 
tions of  humanity  sought  his  public  apart- 
ment in  the  absence  of  the  chang-sop.  It 
was  a kind  of  court  room,  where  he  listened 
to  all  sorts  of  pleas,  passed  sentences — of  the 


300  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

mildest  sort,  as  was  asserted, — granted  pardon, 
bestowed  alms,  and  settled  matters  of  business 
pertaining  to  the  daily  routine  of  the  mon- 
astery. 

Margaret’s  ardent  hope  was  that  she  would 
find  the  san-tong  alone.  She  noticed  as  she 
passed  onward  toward  the  main  hall  that  the 
yards  and  courtways  were  nearly  deserted. 
There  were  only  a few  workmen  and  servants 
about.  Two  or  three  priests  passed  her  in 
their  white  gowns,  with  metal  gongs  attached 
to  their  girdles. 

The  hallway  was  entirely  deserted.  It  was 
the  hour  of  the  evening  prayers  in  the  cells, 
but  Margaret  did  not  know  it.  The  bell  had 
rung  before  she  left  the  pavilion,  but  so  filled 
was  her  mind  with  what  she  was  about  to  do, 
that  the  significance  of  its  ringing  had  not 
suggested  itself  to  her. 

She  was  sure  she  was  closely  following  the 
directions  Kingen  had  given  her.  She  had 
turned  to  the  left  now  and  was  passing  down 
a narrower  corridor.  Here  were  the  doors,  as 
the  little  maid  had  said.  She  counted  them, 
one,  two,  three,  four.  Kingen  had  not  been 
sure  as  to  whether  it  were  the  third  door  or 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  301 

the  fourth  one.  But  where  was  the  shrine  ? 
She  could  see  nothing  of  it.  The  light  was 
not  strong  in  the  hall,  but  if  there  had  been 
anything  at  hand  of  the  bulk  she  felt  sure  the 
shrine  was,  she  would  have  seen  it.  Kingen 
had  not  known,  when  telling  her  of  this 
shrine,  that  it  had  recently  been  taken  away 
for  repairs. 

Margaret  knocked  upon  the  panel  of  both 
the  third  and  fourth  doors,  timidly  at  first, 
then  louder  and  louder  as  she  met  with  no  re- 
sponse. Then  she  tried  each  door,  but  each 
alike  resisted  all  her  effort  to  open  it. 

Suddenly  an  object  by  the  side  of  a door  at 
the  end  of  the  hall  attracted  her  attention. 
She  could  just  make  it  out  in  the  somewhat 
uncertain  light.  She  walked  swiftly  to  it.  It 
must  be  the  shrine  to  which  Kingen  alluded. 
There  was  an  ebony  stool  in  front  of  it,  and 
on  the  shrine  below  the  images,  brass  incense 
burners,  candles  in  burnished  candlesticks 
ready  to  be  lighted,  and  a great  porcelain  bowl 
heaped  high  with  fruit.  This  must  indeed  be 
the  shrine  of  Gautama.  No  doubt  the  san- 
tong  had  changed  his  apartment  without  the 
little  maid’s  knowing  of  it. 


302  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Leaning  forward  Margaret  placed  her  hand 
upon  the  door  and  pushed  against  it.  She 
did  not  note  that  it  was  much  larger  than  any 
other  in  its  vicinity  and  very  elaborately 
carved. 

The  door  yielded  at  last  to  her  pressure.  It 
turned  back  easily,  noiselessly,  as  though 
some  hand  from  within  were  assisting  her. 
As  it  swung  back  revealing  the  interior,  Mar- 
garet gasped  in  her  surprise.  She  was  stand- 
ing at  the  threshold  of  a long  and  lofty  apart- 
ment, the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by 
pillars  of  a marble-like  whiteness  beautifully 
gilded  in  a network  of  vines  and  sprays  of 
flowers.  The  walls,  too,  were  adorned  with 
the  same  beautiful  tracery  of  gold  and  white, 
with  numerous  carved  images  painted  and 
gilded,  and  pictures  embroidered  in  gold  upon 
silk.  At  one  end  there  was  a magnificent 
canopy,  above  and  about  which  hung  rich 
silken  draperies  of  so  sheeny  a texture  they 
seemed  melting  away  as  the  afternoon  sun- 
light fell  upon  them  through  the  openings  for 
light  and  air.  Under  this  canopy  sat  four  im- 
mense bronze  figures,  each  in  a different  atti- 
tude of  meditation. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  303 

• 

“ The  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages  ! ” exclaimed 
Margaret,  her  voice  quivering  with  excite- 
ment. “ To  think  that,  without  really  intend- 
ing it,  I have  really  come  here ! ” 

Then,  scarcely  conscious  of  what  she  did, 
she  stepped  within  and  let  the  door  swing 
back  again  behind  her.  It  closed  as  noise- 
lessly as  it  had  opened. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  JUDGMENT  OF  THE  BUDDHA 

Slowly-  and  with  bated  breath  Margaret 
advanced  within  the  apartment,  at  every  step 
becoming  more  and  more  assured  that  this 
was  indeed  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages  men- 
tioned by  Kingen. 

“ Where  is  the  picture  of  the  abbot,  painted 
by  Walter  Griffin  ?”  This  was  the  thought 
now  uppermost  in  her  mind. 

And  then,  and  when  least  expecting  it,  she 
came  upon  the  picture.  It  was  above  an 
alcove  in  the  wall,  to  the  right  of  the  silk- 
draped  canopy  beneath  which  sat,  or  half  re- 
clined, the  four  pensive-looking  Buddhas. 

The  picture  was  well  placed.  Though  the 
sun  was  near  to  its  setting,  and  there  were  but 
a few  rays  that  slanted  through  the  apertures 
set  high  in  the  outer  walls  of  the  apartment, 
still  the  light  fell  upon  the  picture  and  she 
could  see  it  plainly. 

It  was  a finely  executed  piece  of  work,  and 
the  abbot  did  indeed  look,  as  Kingen  had 

304 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  305 

said,  as  though  about  to  speak,  yet  Margaret 
turned  away  from  the  picture  with  a shudder. 
Not  even  the  beautiful  silken  robes  of  office, 
the  golden  girdle  and  other  adornments  with 
which  the  abbot  had  arrayed  himself,  could 
soften  the  cold,  hard  features,  suggestive  of 
both  haughtiness  and  cruel  will. 

Margaret  walked  about  the  hall  for  some 
moments,  her  interest  growing  deeper.  How 
she  wished  the  others,  especially  Sarah,  could 
have  seen  the  exquisite  carvings.  Margaret 
could  hear  now  the  exclamations  of  aston- 
ishment and  incredulity  with  which  they 
would  receive  the  story  of  her  unintentional 
visit  to  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages ! 

The  deep  booming  of  the  great  bronze  bell 
suddenly  brought  Margaret  to  a realization  of 
her  strange  position.  She  wondered  at  her- 
self for  not  having  before  realized  it.  Her 
coolness  in  walking  about  the  hall  and  so 
leisurely  examining  things  was  truly  astonish- 
ing. Suppose  the  priests  found  her  here, 
what  would  they  say  and  do  ? 

She  started  quickly  toward  the  door  by 
which  she  had  entered.  Could  she  hope  to 
be  as  fortunate  in  avoiding  notice  as  she  re- 


306  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

turned  through  the  passageways  of  the  main 
building  as  she  had  been  when  she  came? 
She  feared  not.  Yet  if  she  could  only  find 
the  san-tong,  all  would  be  well,  she  be- 
lieved. 

She  tried  the  door,  but  could  not  open  it, 
for  it  seemed  to  have  caught  hard  and  fast. 
Perhaps  it  was  only  stuck.  For  the  first 
time  she  noted  how  massive  looking  it  was. 
How  had  she  ever  opened  it?  But  then  it 
seemed  to  yield  easily  to  her  pressure,  almost 
as  though  some  one  had  assisted  her  in  open- 
ing it. 

There  was  a large  bronze  handle  to  the 
door.  She  caught  hold  of  this  and  tugged 
with  all  her  might ; still  there  was  no  yield- 
ing of  the  door. 

“ It  is  no  use ! ” cried  Margaret  at  last  in 
despair.  “ I cannot  open  it.  There  is  a 
spring,  no  doubt,  and  it  is  caught.  I must 
find  some  other  way  to  get  out.” 

From  the  shape  of  the  hall,  she  was  sure 
she  was  now  in  one  of  the  new  wings  of  the 
building,  the  passages  through  which  she  had 
come  being  in  the  old  or  main  portion.  No 
doubt  she  could  find  her  way  out  by  other 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  307 

passageways  which  led  to  an  entrance  in  the 
outer  wall  of  the  wing. 

She  crossed  the  hall  again,  seeking  for  a 
door  along  the  opposite  wall.  She  was  startled 
now  to  see  how  dim  the  light  had  become. 
The  sun  no  doubt  had  dipped  suddenly  be- 
hind a mountain  peak.  Margaret  had  to 
walk  cautiously  to  keep  from  stumbling 
against  the  different  shrines,  images,  and 
other  objects  set  here  and  there  about  the 
floor.  She  reached  the  opposite  wall  and 
began  groping  along  it,  seeking  a door. 
After  some  moments  her  search  was  re- 
warded. There  was  a recess  in  the  wall, 
before  which  hung  draperies  of  rich  bro- 
cade. Pushing  them  aside  she  entered  the 
alcove  to  find  at  its  back  a small  door  almost 
as  elaborately  carved  as  was  the  great  main 
door.  It  was  ajar,  and  through  it  came  a beam 
of  light. 

An  exclamation  of  thankfulness  escaped 
Margaret,  and  she  was  about  to  push  the 
door  open,  so  that  she  could  pass  through, 
when  a sudden  feeling  of  hesitancy  stayed 
her.  What  would  she  find  on  the  other  side? 
Might  not  the  priests  be  there  at  their  devo- 


308  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

tions  ? The  light  so  indicated.  She  bent  for- 
ward, listening  intently.  There  was  no  sound. 
If  persons  were  there,  she  surely  would  catch 
some  sound.  Yet  the  priests  might  be  at 
silent  prayer.  If  this  wTere  so,  could  she  not 
slip  through  the  apartment  unnoticed  ? 

With  this  hope  strongly  defined,  Margaret 
carefully  pushed  open  the  door  and  entered. 
She  had  no  more  than  done  so,  however, 
when  she  stood  spellbound  with  horror. 
And  no  wonder ! for  the  scene  upon  which 
she  looked  was  amply  sufficient  to  strike  upon 
a young  girl’s  nerves  with  terror. 

The  apartment  was  only  about  half  the  size 
of  that  through  which  she  had  just  passed, 
yet  in  its  suggestions  of  horror  it  seemed  in- 
terminable. Everything  that  could  produce 
an  impression  of  gloom,  that  could  awaken 
terror  by  dumb  representations,  was  there.  It 
was  the  Temple  of  the  Judges,  though  Mar- 
garet did  not  then  know  it,  and  here  was  held, 
at  two  or  three  times  of  the  year,  certain  mys- 
terious rites  called  “ The  Judgment  of  the 
Buddha.”  In  reality  the  judgment  was  by 
the  high  ecclesiastical  dignitary  of  the  monas- 
tery, the  abbot. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


3°9 


The  ceilings  and  walls  of  this  forbidding 
looking  apartment  were  of  wood  blackened  to 
a midnight  hue,  and  so  highly  polished  that 
it  shone  like  mirrors.  At  one  end  of  it  there 
was  a canopy,  as  in  the  Hall  of  the  Four 
Sages.  On  a platform  beneath  sat  an  im- 
mense bronze  Buddha,  and  grouped  about  it 
other  bronze  images,  representing  associate 
judges,  all  of  them  disciples  of  the  Buddha 
who  had  made  themselves  famous  through 
various  ages. 

In  front  of  the  Buddha  was  an  altar,  and 
surrounding  all  a railing  of  brass.  Along  the 
altar  and  on  various  brackets  and  pedestals 
were  lighted  candles  in  massive  holders  of 
ebony. 

Only  the  Buddha  had  a merciful  look  upon 
his  face.  The  images  of  the  associate  judges 
had  been  made  to  look  as  horrible  as  possible. 
At  the  back  of  each  judge  were  pictures  depict- 
ing the  most  awful  tortures  of  those  who  dis- 
obeyed the  teachings  of  Buddhism.  All  along 
the  walls  of  the  hall  and  against  the  pillars 
that  supported  the  roof  were  placed  innumer- 
able images  of  gods  and  demons,  with  hideous, 
grinning  faces  and  leering  eyes.  The  central 


310  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

figure  of  the  hall  was  an  immense  dragon, 
showing  a frightful  countenance,  as  though 
just  cheated  of  his  prey. 

Bravely  trying  to  conquer  the  feeling  of 
repulsion  and  terror  that  had  seized  her  at 
sight  of  this  horrible  Judgment  Hall,  Mar- 
garet advanced  a few  paces  within  the  room 
and  glanced  about  her  carefully.  To  all  ap- 
pearance the  hall  was  deserted,  though  the 
numerous  lighted  candles  gave  evidence  of 
some  form  of  devotions  soon  to  begin. 

With  her  heart  beating  rapidly,  and  her 
knees  trembling,  Margaret  crossed  the  hall  to 
the  wall  on  the  opposite  side.  Carefully  she 
searched  along  the  entire  length,  but  without 
avail.  There  was  no  outlet  of  any  kind,  so 
far  as  she  had  been  able  to  discover.  All  this 
while  her  hearing  had  been  strained  to  catch 
any  sound  of  approaching  steps. 

She  now  resolved  to  try  the  wall  that  lay  at 
an  angle  to  this  one,  that  at  the  rear  of  the 
hall.  She  had  covered  about  half  the  distance 
toward  it,  when  a noise  in  the  direction  of  the 
altar  caused  her  to  turn  her  head.  Three 
priests  were  there  at  their  devotions.  So  noise- 
lessly had  they  approached  in  their  bare  feet 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  311 

that  Margaret  had  not  noticed  them.  Even 
as  she  gazed,  four  others  appeared,  then  a mo- 
ment or  so  later  there  came  in  view  a proces- 
sion the  sight  of  which  caused  Margaret  to  step 
quickly  behind  the  cover  of  a pillar.  It  was 
the  abbot,  with  the  sub-abbot  and  the  monks 
of  a higher  rank,  she  was  sure.  As  they  ap- 
proached the  altar,  the  great  bell  without 
boomed  again  with  deep,  hoarse  notes.  It  had 
barely  ceased  when  a wild  chant  burst  from 
the  lips  of  those  about  the  altar. 

While  this  was  still  in  progress,  Margaret 
dared  to  look  again.  This  time  it  was  cau- 
tiously, and  from  behind  the  friendly  shelter 
of  the  pillar.  The  abbot  had  taken  his  place 
on  the  platform  beside  the  Buddha.  Two 
priests  had  approached  the  brass  incense  burn- 
ers on  the  altar ; others  were  crouched  about 
the  gilded  railing  on  hands  and  knees,  their 
foreheads  touching  the  floor.  Margaret  was 
astonished  to  see  so  many.  How  had  such  a 
large  number  entered  with  so  little  noise? 
Judging  from  the  direction  whence  the  pro- 
cession had  come,  the  priests  had  evidently 
entered  by  a door  just  to  the  left  of  the  canopy. 
Why  had  not  Margaret  been  able  to  find  it? 


312  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Should  she  seek  it  now  ? She  had  made  the 
movement  to  do  this  when  a thought  restrained 
her.  It  would  be  very  bad  breeding  to  dis- 
turb the  priests  at  their  devotions,  as  she  would 
no  doubt  do  if  she  passed  so  near  to  them.  It 
was  heathen  worship,  it  was  true,  but  she 
would  respect  it.  The  only  graceful  thing,  it 
seemed  to  her,  she  could  now  do,  was  to  wait 
until  the  devotions  were  over.  Then  she 
would  follow  by  the  way  she  saw  the  priests 
go  out. 

It  never  occurred  to  Margaret  that  she  could 
be  witnessing  anything  forbidden  to  her  and 
to  all  others  save  those  who  took  part  in  it. 
Outsiders  were  welcomed  to  the  services  in  the 
temple,  then  why  not  here  ? 

Margaret  soon  had  an  answer  to  her  last 
question  in  the  startling  nature  of  the  rites  on 
which  she  looked.  The  chants  grew  more  weird 
and  wild  ; Sanscrit  litanies  were  intoned  by 
voices  that  rose  higher  and  shriller,  till  they 
reached  a climax  of  discordant,  blood-chilling 
sounds.  Priests,  acting  as  though  they  were 
going  mad,  circled  round  and  round  three 
bronze  bells,  set  upon  low  pedestals,  which  they 
struck  with  mallets  of  metal.  In  the  midst 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  313 

of  the  frenzy  a number  of  the  candles  were  ex- 
tinguished, then  almost  as  suddenly  every 
sound  ceased. 

The  abbot  rose.  The  flame  from  the  can- 
dles, burning  in  a circle  about  him,  shone 
upon  his  shaven  head  and  haughty  face.  He 
extended  his  hand  and  spoke  burning  words 
of  denunciation.  Then  one  by  one  priests  ap- 
proached with  bowed  heads  and  most  hum- 
ble mien.  They  had  removed  their  vestments 
and  were  clothed  now  only  in  short,  sleeveless 
tunics.  Books  were  in  their  hands,  which 
were  extended  to  the  abbot,  books  in  which 
all  the  sins,  both  of  thought  and  of  act,  during 
the  past  months,  were  recorded. 

The  abbot  took  them  and  read  such  parts  as 
he  thought  would  cover  the  culprits  with  the 
greater  shame  and  confusion.  Scathing  com- 
ments followed  the  readings.  It  was  a general 
confession  of  all  misdeeds  of  the  flesh,  of  all 
weaknesses  of  the  spirit,  in  which  every  one 
took  part,  even  the  abbot  himself  getting  down 
upon  hands  and  knees  and  confessing  all  to 
Buddha  ; in  low  tones,  however,  which  no  one 
heard. 

Suddenly  the  light  of  the  extinguished  can- 


314  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

dies  flared  up  again  and  the  smoke  of  burning 
incense  began  to  pervade  the  apartment.  The 
judge  now  read  the  sentences,  each  culprit 
listening  with  bowed  head  to  the  form  of  pun- 
ishment meted  out  to  him. 

Suddenly  the  chanting  broke  forth  again, 
the  wild  clashing  of  bells,  the  shrieking  of 
prayers,  the  frenzied  whirl  of  figures  clawing 
with  sharp  finger  nails  into  the  flesh  of  breast 
and  shoulders,  until  the  blood  trickled  down 
streaking  with  red  the  snow-white  tunics. 
Over  all,  mingling  with  the  smoke  of  the  in- 
cense, a deep  red  light  began  to  steal,  growing 
more  and  more  vivid  as  the  outburst  of  sound 
grew  louder  and  louder,  till  the  mingled  voices 
became  almost  an  uproar.  Then  as  suddenly 
as  before  the  din  ceased.  The  priests  stood 
motionless,  their  faces  upturned  to  the  light. 
In  the  fierce,  mysterious  glow  the  countenances 
of  the  judges  looked  more  diabolical  than 
ever. 

All  this  while  Margaret  had  stood  without 
the  power  of  movement.  She  was  like  one 
under  the  force  of  a spell.  The  horrible  rites 
she  had  witnessed  had  struck  her  numb  with 
terror.  Two  or  three  times  she  had  felt  that 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  315 

she  must  cry  out  and  rush  from  the  room,  but 
each  time  she  felt  incapable  of  voice  or  of 
motion.  Her  brain  was  in  a whirl,  yet  there 
was  one  thing  quite  clear  to  her  ; she  had  wit- 
nessed what  she  ought  never  to  have  seen. 
This  thought  kept  her  silent  and  trembling 
even  after  the  orgies  had  ceased  and  the  spell 
of  numbness  to  a considerable  degree  had  been 
broken. 

“ What  am  I to  do  ? ” Margaret  asked  her- 
self in  dismay.  “ Oh,  why  did  I not  try  to 
escape  at  the  beginning  of  the  ceremonies, 
while  the  light  was  dim  ? But  for  the  shadow 
of  the  pillar  and  that  of  the  great  image  beside 
it,  I would  long  ago  have  been  discovered,  I 
am  sure.” 

The  priests  were  still  standing  about  the 
altar,  their  faces  upturned.  The  red  glow  was 
fading.  No  doubt  it  was  for  this  they  were 
waiting. 

In  desperation  Margaret  suddenly  moved 
away  from  the  pillar.  Her  nerves  were  on  a 
tension.  If  she  were  ever  going  to  escape, 
now  was  the  one  remaining  opportunity,  while 
the  priests  were  in  that  attitude  of  rapt  devo- 
tion. There  was  now  but  a dim  light  through 


316  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

certain  portions  of  the  hall.  Perhaps  by 
keeping  close  within  the  shadows  cast  by  the 
rows  of  images  she  might  reach  the  door  un- 
seen. 

Two-thirds  of  the  distance  had  been  trav- 
ersed, and  Margaret  was  just  congratulating 
herself  that,  with  a little  more  caution  and  a 
little  more  nerve,  she  would  soon  be  beyond 
the  range  of  eyes,  when  her  foot  caught  in  the 
outstretched  claws  of  a dragon,  and  she  stum- 
bled. In  her  effort  to  recover  herself,  she 
clutched  at  a near-by  shrine.  Her  fingers 
struck  a porcelain  bowl,  carelessly  set  close  to 
the  edge.  Down  it  fell  with  a crash. 

Instantly  every  head  bowed  in  devotion 
about  the  altar  was  raised.  There  were  sharp 
exclamations,  cries  of  alarm  and  anger.  Then 
two  forms,  darting  out  from  among  the  others, 
quickly  sped  toward  the  spot  where  Margaret 
was  now  righting  herself. 

In  another  moment  rough  hands  had  seized 
her  and  were  dragging  her  toward  the  altar. 

The  monks  crowded  around,  some  open- 
mouthed  and  open-eyed  with  wonder,  others 
again,  and  by  far  the  larger  number,  staring 
at  her  with  scowling,  threatening  counte- 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  317 

nances.  In  all  the  throng  she  caught  sight 
of  but  one  pitying  face.  It  was  that  of  the 
san-tong,  she  was  sure.  Then  she  saw  the 
abbot  approach.  He  pushed  others  aside  that 
he  might  have  a better  view  of  her. 

“ The  second  time  the  offense  has  occurred,” 
he  said,  turning  a scowling  face  toward  the 
sang-tong,  “ and  each  time  it  has  been  by  the 
same  breed ! Strange  that  the  daring  pre- 
sumption should  be  shared  by  men  and  women 
alike.,, 


CHAPTER  XXII 


THE  CELL  OF  YO-DO-KI 

Margaret  held  her  head  up  proudly ; yet 
there  mingled  with  this  pride  the  feeling  that 
she  had  committed  a grievous  wrong,  though 
unwittingly.  She  had  witnessed  certain  mys- 
tic rites  forbidden  to  the  eyes  of  all  aliens,  and 
even  to  some  of  the  priests  themselves.  It 
was  a grave  offense,  she  knew,  and  as  calmly 
as  she  could  she  awaited  their  verdict.  Two 
things  kept  the  bells  of  hope  ringing  within 
her  heart.  For  one  she  knew  that  the  relig- 
ion of  the  Buddhists  forbade  the  taking  of 
life.  For  the  other,  if  they  imprisoned  her, 
they  could  not  long  keep  her  so,  as  her  loved 
ones  would  be  sure  to  raise  a great  hue  and 
cry  so  soon  as  they  discovered  that  she  was 
confined  within  the  monastery.  What  troub- 
led her  now,  more  than  aught  else,  was  the 
scowling,  threatening  looks  the  monks  cast 
upon  her. 

The  abbot  continued  to  talk  in  harsh,  angry 
318 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  319 

tones.  He  was  greatly  excited.  His  eyes 
flashed,  and  there  were  cruel  lines  about  his 
mouth.  He  was  speaking  now  to  the  san- 
tong,  and  it  was  a fierce  denunciation  of  her- 
self, Margaret  knew. 

The  soft,  pleading  tones  of  the  san-tong  in- 
terrupted him. 

“ Spare  her,”  Margaret  heard  him  say. 
“ She  is  very  young.  No  doubt  this  has  been 
innocently  done.” 

The  abbot,  however,  was  beyond  the  calm- 
ing influence  of  reasoning. 

“ How  dare  you  suggest  aught  like  that?” 
he  asked,  as  he  turned  fiercely  upon  the  san- 
tong.  “ Know  you  not  as  well  as  I know  it, 
that  alien  eyes  looking  upon  rites  like  these, 
must  never  again  see  the  light  of  day  ? Young 
or  old,  let  them  suffer  alike.  Man  or  woman, 
it  is  all  the  same  ; never  must  they  be  allowed 
to  return  where  mischief  can  be  wrought 
through  their  babbling.  It  is  not  permitted, 
even  by  the  good  and  merciful  Buddha,  that 
heretic,  gaining  knowledge,  innocently  or 
otherwise,  of  the  sacred  observances,  prescribed 
by  the  wisdom  of  the  ages,  be  given  opportu- 
nity to  reveal  them  with  scoffing  tongue.” 


320  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


Turning  to  the  other  priests  the  chang-sop 
now  delivered  himself  of  a wild  harangue,  a 
part  of  which  Margaret  understood,  the  other 
part  being  almost  unintelligible.  In  it,  how- 
ever, Margaret  caught  a denunciation  of  her- 
self, of  her  people,  of  her  whole  race,  in  fact, 
of  one  in  particular  who  had  wrought  untold 
mischief  through  his  meddling.  The  abbot 
denounced  every  one  of  the  “ hated  breed  ” as 
a spy  and  a meddler,  banded  together  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  shame  and  confusion 
upon  the  noble  teachings  of  the  great  and 
most  holy  Buddha. 

Again  and  again  the  sub-abbot  sought  to 
stay  this  flood  of  savage  denunciation.  He 
plead,  he  reasoned,  he  offered  excuses  for 
those  so  bitterly  upbraided,  but  all  in  vain. 
The  abbot  was  inexorable.  No  earthly  power 
could  have  stayed  the  torrent  of  words  upon 
his  lips.  He  was  deaf  even  to  the  plea  that 
Margaret  be  permitted  to  speak  words  in  her 
own  behalf.  The  san-tong  was  sure  she  had 
not  come  into  the  hall  intentionally.  Mar- 
garet could  never  forget  the  gentle,  benign 
look  upon  the  sub-abbot’s  face  as  he  made 
this  plea  in  her  behalf,  which  the  abbot  treated 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  321 

as  he  had  treated  all  the  others,  disdainfully. 
There  was  also  a pitying  light  in  the  san- 
tong’s  eyes  as  he  turned  them  upon  Margaret, 
which  stirred  her  to  the  very  depths  of  her 
heart.  It  was  as  though  he  had  said,  “ My 
child,  I have  done  all  I can  for  you,  but  you 
see  how  vain  are  my  pleadings.’ ’ 

Margaret  assayed  now  for  the  first  time  to 
speak.  She  would  tell  her  story,  even  if  it 
did  no  good.  The  san-tong,  at  least,  should 
know  that  his  confidence  was  not  misplaced. 
But  she  had  uttered  no  more  than  a half 
dozen  sentences,  when  the  abbot  peremptorily 
bade  her  be  silent.  She  had  committed  the 
offense ; whether  innocently  or  otherwise  did 
not  matter.  She  must  suffer  the  penalty. 
There  was  no  appeal  for  any  one  from  the 
judgment  of  Buddha,  and  he  looked  signifi- 
cantly around  upon  the  great  bronze  figure 
sitting  in  front  of  the  altar. 

The  priests  had  now  resumed  their  robes, 
thus  concealing  the  blood-stained  tunics  and 
the  lacerations  they  had  given  themselves 
upon  breasts  and  shoulders.  In  the  case  of 
some  who,  in  their  religious  frenzy,  had  made 
deeper  wounds  than  others,  the  blood,  still 


322  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

trickling,  began  to  soak  through  to  the  out- 
side garment. 

The  abbot  turned  again  toward  the  great 
silent  bronze  figure.  He  picked  up  the  smok- 
ing censer,  and  while  he  swung  it  round  and 
round  in  a slow  circle,  he  began  an  incanta- 
tion. Instantly  every  head  save  Margaret’s 
was  bowed,  and  every  lip  took  up  the  re- 
frain. 

“ Namu,  Amida,  Butsu  ! (Hail,  omnipotent 
Buddha ! ) ” 

A shivering  seized  Margaret.  For  the  first 
time  she  began  to  have  something  of  a true 
conception  of  what  might  await  her.  How 
cruel  and  determined,  too,  were  the  faces  of 
these  priests  ! Would  it,  after  all,  be  an  easy 
matter  for  her  loved  ones  to  release  her  ? 
Even  the  king,  she  had  heard,  showed  a 
weakness  when  it  came  to  antagonizing  the 
Buddhists  to  any  serious  extent. 

The  chant  ceased.  The  heads  of  the  priests 
were  raised.  Suddenly  the  abbot  turned  and 
looked  grimly  at  Margaret.  She  felt  her  face 
paling  under  the  glance  of  those  cruel  eyes. 
Her  heart  sank  like  lead.  A chill  as  from  an 
icy  blast  passed  over  her.  The  only  warmth 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  323 

her  body  seemed  to  possess  was  where  the  two 
spots  of  crimson  flamed  upon  her  cheeks. 

The  abbot  continued  to  gaze  at  her  pierc- 
ingly for  a few  moments,  then  he  spoke, 

“ Know  that  for  this  terrible  sacrilege  you 
have  been  guilty  of  committing  against  the 
most  sacred  Buddha,  never  again  shall  your 
eyes  look  upon  the  light  of  day,  nor  your  lips 
have  opportunity  to  speak  aught  of  that  which 
your  eyes  have  here  beheld.” 

Then  he  signaled  to  two  of  the  priests  and 
continued, 

“ Take  her  and  bear  her  away  to  the  cell 
just  immediately  within  the  east  wing,  to  the 
right  of  the  passage  ; the  one  where  the  monk 
Yo-do-ki  was  not  long  ago  confined.  Take 
care  that  you  proceed  entirely  by  the  secret 
stairs  and  underground  passages.  Further- 
more,” the  eyes  of  the  abbot  blazed  now  as 
his  glance  swept  the  upturned  faces,  “ no  lip 
is  to  speak  one  word  of  what  has  occurred 
here  this  night,  under  penalty  of  the  direst 
punishment  known  to  Buddha.  The  girl  is 
dead  to  her  friends.  Remember  ! ” 

The  abbot  turned  away  as  though  he  had 
now  entirely  washed  his  hands  of  the  affair, 


324  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

except  that  they  knew  he  would  be  as  re- 
lentless as  death  in  meting  out  the  punish- 
ment threatened  to  those  who  held  not  their 
tongues. 

As  the  priests  designated  to  bear  her  away 
to  imprisonment  moved  toward  Margaret,  the 
young  girl’s  fortitude  for  the  first  time  en- 
tirely deserted  her.  A realization  of  the  ter- 
rible thing  about  to  happen  swept  over  her  as 
an  engulfing  wave.  The  room  and  its  occu- 
pants swam  before  her  eyes.  She  swayed  and 
would  have  fallen  but  for  a steadying  hand. 
It  was  the  san-tong’s,  she  discovered  after  a 
moment.  She  saw,  too,  the  san-tong’s  face. 
There  was  gentleness,  pity,  compassion  there ; 
perhaps,  also,  there  was  hope.  Her  heart 
stirred  quickly ; her  hands  were  extended 
to  him.  She  would  plead  with  him  to  try 
again  to  turn  the  iron  will  of  the  abbot.  She 
would  promise  them  upon  honor  never  to 
let  one  word  of  aught  that  she  had  seen  pass 
her  lips.  Surely,  they  would  believe  that  she 
would  keep  her  word. 

Ere  she  could  more  than  begin  to  speak  to 
the  san-tong,  however,  she  was  suddenly  seized 
and  forced  awray  from  him.  All  that  followed 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  325 

was  like  a terrible  nightmare  to  Margaret. 
Not  until  the  great  door  of  the  cell  clanged 
behind  the  retreating  monks  did  she  come 
fully  to  herself,  and  then  with  a shock  as  she 
realized  her  surroundings.  She  was  indeed 
imprisoned,  in  a Buddhist  monastery,  and  in  a 
cell  many  feet  under  ground,  she  now  realized, 
as  she  recalled,  though  still  in  a somewhat 
dazed  manner,  the  many  steps  they  had  de- 
scended. 

The  priests  had  left  her  a light  burning 
within  a paper  lantern.  By  its  dim  rays  she 
was  enabled  to  see  the  dimensions  of  her  cell, 
and  was  thankful  to  find  it  was  not  very  large. 
A vast  apartment  with  mocking  shadows  and 
infested  perhaps  with  rats  and  other  small 
creatures  would  have  been  a greater  trial  upon 
her  nerves.  She  shuddered,  too,  as  she 
thought  of  the  possible  filthy  condition  of  her 
quarters.  But  this  she  need  not  have  feared 
had  she  stopped  to  think  of  the  proverbial 
cleanliness  of  Buddhist  premises.  The  cell 
in  fact  had  recently  received  a coat  of  white- 
wash. The  brick  floor  had  also  been  carefully 
swept  and  the  straw  mats  and  other  bedding 
were  fresh  and  clean.  In  addition  to  the 


326  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

light,  the  monks  had  left  wheaten  cakes, 
honey,  fruit  and  fresh  water. 

“ They  are  evidently  determined  I shall  not 
die  soon,”  Margaret  said  to  herself  with  a 
faint  smile. 

She  sat  down  upon  the  straw  matting  and 
went  carefully  over  the  whole  situation.  It 
did  not  seem  to  her  that  it  would  be  possible 
for  the  priests  to  conceal  the  fact  of  her  im- 
prisonment. Once  it  became  known  to  her 
loved  ones  and  friends,  which  must  be  very 
soon,  Margaret  felt  assured  they  would  leave 
no  stone  unturned  to  effect  her  release.  No 
doubt  Wilbur  and  Arthur  and  Stephen,  and 
even  Sarah,  were  hunting  for  her  at  this  very 
moment,  alarmed  by  her  protracted  absence. 
The  priests  might  withstand  their  questions, 
and  no  doubt  would,  as  well  as  succeed  in 
blocking  their  efforts  toward  investigation,  but 
when  her  father  and  Dr.  Griffin  returned,  all 
would  be  changed.  If  the  priests  were  obdu- 
rate, the  law  would  be  invoked.  Both  her 
father  and  the  young  physician,  she  knew,  had 
w’on  the  good  will  of  the  king.  If  no  other 
way  could  be  found,  the  king  would  issue  an 
order  for  her  release. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  327 

Alas,  poor  Margaret ! she  little  knew  how 
wily  these  priests  could  be  ; how,  in  truth,  the 
report  of  her  death  had  already  been  circu- 
lated. In  proof  of  it  were  shown  her  sailor 
hat  and  reefer,  about  the  detention  of  which 
by  the  priests,  Margaret  was  even  now  vaguely 
wondering.  Why  had  they  not  returned  them 
to  her,  especially  when  she  had  insisted  on 
having  them?  The  jacket  she  had  removed 
on  entering  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Sages,  on 
account  of  the  closeness  of  the  apartment,  and 
the  hat  had  fallen  from  her  head  as  the  priests 
dragged  her  toward  the  altar. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Margaret  that  she  did 
not  know  of  all  that  had  happened  within  the 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  since  she  had  been 
dragged  from  the  Hall  of  Judgment  to  the 
cell  of  Yo-do-ki. 

Margaret’s  absence  had  long  ago  been  noted 
by  the  young  people  at  the  pavilion,  and  even 
as  she  stood  beside  the  pillar  gazing  upon  the 
first  of  the  rites,  Wilbur  and  Arthur  were 
making  anxious  search  for  her.  All  the  in- 
formation they  could  gain  for  a time  was  to 
the  effect  that  she  had  been  seen  going  toward 
the  promontory  overlooking  the  foaming 


328  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

waters  of  the  tributary  of  the  Han  near 
which  the  nunnery  was  situated.  How 
wretched  indeed  Margaret  would  have  been 
could  she  have  known  that  at  the  very  mo- 
ment she  was  taking  the  most  hopeful  view 
yet  of  her  probable  release,  Sarah  was  weeping 
heart-brokenly,  and  Wilbur  and  Arthur  and 
Stephen  were  overcome  with  grief  because  of 
the  story  told  to  them  that  Margaret  had 
fallen  over  the  ledge  into  the  foaming  waters, 
which  had  swept  her  body  on  into  the  Han. 
The  sailor  hat  and  reefer  were  shown  them, 
which  the  monks  declared  she  had  laid  aside 
upon  the  ledge  ere  leaning  over  for  the  flowers, 
the  effect  to  grasp  which  had  caused  her 
death. 

Having  taken  the  cheerful  view  of  the  situ- 
ation that  her  release  would  surely  come 
shortly,  Margaret  made  up  her  mind  to  en- 
dure her  imprisonment  with  the  best  grace 
possible.  She  now  realized  that  she  was 
hungry,  and  reaching  over,  took  some  of  the 
fruit,  then  one  of  the  wheaten  cakes. 

Margaret  carefully  wound  her  watch.  She 
must  not  now  let  it  run  down,  or  she  would 
lose  track  of  time.  Then  she  laid  down  upon 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  329 

the  matting  and  tried  to  sleep.  It  was  a long 
time  ere  her  eyes  closed  in  slumber.  Visions 
of  the  terrible  scenes  through  which  she  had 
so  recently  passed  kept  presenting  themselves 
in  so  vivid  a manner  that,  even  when  she  fell 
into  a doze,  it  was  to  awaken  very  soon  there- 
after with  a start  and  a gasping  cry  of  terror. 
Toward  morning,  however,  she  fell  into  a 
sound  slumber,  the  slumber  of  thorough  ex- 
haustion, and  did  not  awake  until,  as  her 
watch  showed  her,  it  was  near  noon  of  the 
following  day. 

Margaret  sat  up  quickly  and  gazed  about 
her  in  a dazed  way.  It  took  her  some  mo- 
ments to  return  to  a full  realization  of  her 
surroundings.  She  arose  and  walked  about 
her  cell.  The  lantern  was  still  burning  ; the 
little  earthen  lamp  within  it  had  been  well 
supplied  with  oil.  From  words  she  had 
heard  the  abbot  speak  and  from  others 
dropped  by  the  monks  as  they  bore  her 
to  imprisonment,  she  had  a general  idea  as 
to  the  position  of  her  cell.  It  was  far  be- 
low ground,  of  that  she  was  assured,  and  was 
just  within  the  newer  portion  of  the  monastery 
known  as  the  east  wing.  In  fact,  the  wall  of 


33°  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


her  cell  at  one  side  was  the  extreme  wall  of 
the  old  building,  against  which  the  newer 
structure  had  been  erected.  Margaret  picked 
up  the  lantern,  examining  this  wall  more 
closely.  It  showed  evidences  of  its  great  age. 
At  more  than  one  place  the  mortar  was  crum- 
bling. A sudden  wild  hope  filled  Margaret’s 
heart.  Suppose  that  she  could  find  some  im- 
plement whereby  the  mortar  could  be  removed 
and  one  or  more  of  the  stones  displaced? 
Might  she  not  then  hope  to  escape  from  her 
cell  ? She  had  her  pocket  knife,  a rather  sub- 
stantial one  for  a girl ; would  not  that  do  ? 

Almost  with  the  coming  of  the  hope,  de- 
spair followed.  No  ; the  knife  would  not  do. 
The  blade  would  be  broken  ere  half  the  thick 
crust  of  mortar  was  penetrated.  And  even  if, 
by  something  little  short  of  a miracle,  the 
stones  were  removed,  would  not  the  opening 
but  lead  her  into  another  cell  ? 

She  was  about  to  set  the  lantern  down  again, 
when  a stone  image  projecting  from  the  wall 
no  more  than  three  feet  above  the  floor  of  the 
cell  caught  her  attention.  She  remembered 
now  certain  words  spoken  by  the  priests  as 
they  departed,  heard  then  as  in  a dream,  but 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  331 

returning  now  more  clearly  at  sight  of  the 
image. 

“ What  mockery  to  put  her  in  the  cell  with 
Kwan-yin,  the  Most  Merciful,  when  there  is 
to  be  no  mercy  for  her ! ” 

This  then  was  the  image  of  Kwan-yin,  the 
Buddhist  God  of  Mercy  ! The  benign  face  of 
the  image  was  a relief,  at  least,  after  the  hor- 
rible, leering  countenances  of  those  in  the 
Hall  of  Judgment. 

Raising  the  lantern  still  higher,  Margaret 
had  a still  closer  survey  of  the  image.  There 
was  a recess  in  the  wall  at  this  place.  It 
looked  as  though  it  might  at  some  time  have 
been  an  opening  that  led  from  one  cell  to 
another.  The  image  was  set  partly  back 
within  the  recess.  There  was  a shelf  be- 
fore it  and  the  imprisoned  monk,  Yo-do-ki, 
had  evidently  used  it  as  a shrine,  as  there 
were  traces  of  burned  candles. 

Suddenly  Margaret  heard  approaching  foot- 
steps. She  set  the  lantern  down  quickly  and 
turned  facing  the  door,  her  heart  beating  ex- 
pectantly. Could  it  be  that  even  now  release 
was  near  ? Her  heart  sank  again  as  the  door 
opened  admitting  only  two  of  the  priests. 


332  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

They  had  come  to  bring  her  more  food  and 
fresh  water.  They  also  added  candles  this 
time  to  her  store.  For  one  brief  instant  the 
mad  thought  seized  Margaret  that  if  she  were 
only  quick  enough  she  might  slip  past  the 
priests  and  dart  through  the  unlocked  door. 
Once  without,  might  she  not  hope  to  elude 
them  in  the  darkened  passageways,  and  in 
time  make  her  escape  to  the  apartments  above, 
where  surely  some  means  would  be  found  to 
quit  the  monastery  in  safety?  One  of  the 
priests,  however,  as  though  he  had  read  her 
intention,  stepped  toward  the  door  and  stood 
with  his  back  against  it  until  his  companion 
was  through.  All  this  while  he  regarded  Mar- 
garet with  a grim  smile. 

The  day  wore  on.  It  was  night  again. 
Once  more  Margaret  tried  to  sleep,  but  slum- 
bered only  fitfully  till  again  near  daybreak, 
when  the  sleep  of  exhaustion  came,  and  this 
time  she  did  not  awaken  till  past  noon.  This 
was  Sunday.  The  recollection  came  to  her 
with  a stab  that  made  her  cry  out  in  her 
wretchedness.  They  had  planned  so  many 
sweet  things  for  this  day.  Now  where  was 
she  ? In  the  cell  of  a Buddhist  monastery, 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  333 

imprisoned  by  fanatical  priests,  and  darker 
than  at  any  time  seemed  the  prospect  of  her 
release. 

Two  more  days  passed.  The  priests  came 
regularly  once  each  day,  bringing  food  and 
water,  but  never  a word  now  did  they  speak 
even  to  each  other.  Once  or  twice  Margaret 
essayed  to  question  them,  but  their  sullen 
looks  caused  the  questions  to  die  upon  her  lips. 

Her  splendid  nerve  was  failing  her  at  last. 
It  had  been  six  days  now  since  her  incarcera- 
tion, and  the  bright  hope  that  had  buoyed  her 
up  from  the  beginning,  the  hope  of  a speedy 
release,  was  dying  within  her.  Yet  her  father 
and  the  others  assuredly  must  know  by  this 
time  of  her  imprisonment.  Surely  they  were 
doing  everything  that  could  be  done  to  effect 
her  release.  She  must  be  patient.  It  could 
not  be  done  in  one  day  nor  two,  nor  three, 
nor  in  one  week ; perhaps  not  even  in  two 
weeks.  There  was  the  king  first  to  be  com- 
municated with,  and  the  machinery  of  the 
law  to  be  put  into  motion,  which,  at  best,  she 
knew,  moved  but  slowly.  Yet  it  was  hard  to 
be  patient,  or  even  hopeful,  amid  the  gloom 
of  such  surroundings. 


334  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Margaret  would  have  found  her  situation 
even  more  terrible  to  endure  could  she  have 
known  that  not  only  had  her  loved  ones  been 
told  that  she  was  dead,  but  they  had  been  dis- 
missed suddenly  from  the  monastery  by  the 
haughty  abbot,  who  declared  that  he  no  longer 
had  room  for  them. 

Another  day  dawned.  Margaret  awoke 
from  a troubled  sleep  in  the  early  hours  of 
the  morning.  The  atmosphere  of  the  cell 
had  grown  very  oppressive.  She  seemed 
almost  gasping  for  breath.  This  was  strange, 
since  heretofore  she  had  found  the  cell  fairly 
well  ventilated. 

Margaret  sat  up  suddenly,  pushing  the 
damp  hair  back  from  her  forehead.  At  that 
very  moment  she  caught  the  sound  of  a low 
rumbling,  as  of  the  far  away  discharge  of 
heavy  artillery,  though  it  seemed  to  be  deep 
down  in  the  earth.  The  floor  swayed  beneath 
her  with  a sensation  that  made  her  sick  and 
dizzy,  then  shook  as  though  some  mighty 
giant  had  it  in  his  grasp.  Simultaneously 
there  came  the  grinding,  rending  noise  of 
walls  falling  apart,  then  one  mighty  crash, 
the  violence  of  which  threw  Margaret  back 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  335 

again  upon  her  pallet  of  straw  matting  deaf 
to  all  further  sound.  She  was,  in  truth, 
shocked  into  unconsciousness. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


IN  THE  UNDERGROUND  PASSAGEWAYS 

It  was  a long  time  before  Margaret  re- 
gained consciousness.  Then  she  did  not  at 
once  rise  from  her  pallet,  but  lay  gazing  about 
her  in  a stupefied  manner.  A cloud  of  dust 
and  mortar  filled  the  apartment,  and  Mar- 
garet’s eyes,  nose  and  throat  were  smart- 
ing with  it.  She  sat  up  at  length,  coughing 
and  almost  gasping  for  breath.  Then  she  dis- 
covered another  cause  of  the  feeling  of  suffo- 
cation. The  lantern,  in  which  the  priests 
had  at  first  placed  a little  earthenware  lamp 
with  oil  and  wick,  but  later  a candle,  had 
been  overturned  by  a falling  stone.  In  so 
doing  it  had  set  fire  to  the  straw  matting,  on 
a part  of  which  Margaret  lay.  The  matting 
in  turn  had  set  fire  to  the  wooden  shelf, 
which,  before  the  earthquake  shock,  had 
been  in  front  of  the  image  of  Kwan-yin.  The 
rending  of  the  wall  had  hurled  it  upon  the 
lantern.  A volume  of  smoke  was  now  spread- 

336 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  337 

ing  through  the  room,  and  Margaret  made 
haste  to  quench  the  fire.  This  was  soon  ac- 
complished by  means  of  the  vessel  of  water. 

Then  Margaret  lighted  a candle,  for  she 
had  her  own  little  match-safe  in  her  pocket. 
She  still  felt  weak  and  somewhat  dazed  from 
the  shock,  but  there  was  a wild  hope  surging 
through  her  heart  now  which  lent  alertness 
to  her  brain  and  strength  to  her  limbs.  Had 
the  earthquake  really  thrown  down  part  of 
the  walls  of  the  cell  ? If  so,  would  there  be  a 

chance  to But  Margaret  scarcely  dared 

put  that  hope  into  words. 

The  newer  part  of  the  cell,  that  is,  the  three 
walls  of  the  east  wing  portion,  were  but  little 
damaged,  and  to  this  circumstance  Margaret 
owed  her  almost  miraculous  escape  from 
death.  One  wall  had  bulged  somewhat,  and 
a stone  near  the  centre  had  fallen  out.  The 
fourth  wall,  however,  the  one  forming  a part 
of  the  masonry  of  the  older  portion  of  the 
monastery — that  said  to  be  more  than  a thou- 
sand years  old — had  been  much  damaged. 
The  image  of  Kwan-yin  had  been  hurled  for- 
ward with  such  force  it  had  ploughed  its  way 
into  the  brick  floor  of  the  cell  until  the  head 


338  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

of  the  god  was  buried  to  the  shoulders  in  the 
debris.  Had  it  gone  a little  further,  it  would 
have  maimed  Margaret,  no  doubt  for  life. 

“ Has  the  wall  really  fallen  in  at  any 
part?”  This  was  the  question  burning  in 
Margaret’s  mind. 

She  held  the  candle  carefully  and  made  her 
way  to  that  portion  of  that  wall  where  the 
greater  damage  seemed  to  have  been  done. 
It  was  near  to  the  angle  formed  by  the  junc- 
tion of  this  wall  with  that  one  of  the  newer 
wing  lying  along  the  passageway.  Stones 
were  piled  here  in  a small  heap,  and  even  as 
Margaret  bent  nearer  another  one  fell  from 
the  wall  above,  striking  the  others  with  a 
sharp  sound  and  just  missing  Margaret  in  its 
descent. 

She  raised  the  candle  and  peered  about 
her ; then  a cry  of  joy,  followed  quickly  by 
one  of  dismay  escaped  her.  There  was  an 
aperture  in  the  wall,  and  one  through  which 
she  could  easily  crawl,  if  she  could  reach  it ; 
but  the  wall  was  tottering  so,  there  was  every 
evidence  it  would  fall  with  a crash  did  she 
attempt  to  put  her  weight  upon  it.  What 
should  she  do?  The  desire  to  escape  was 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  339 

well-nigh  consuming  her,  yet  dared  she  face 
the  alternative  of  an  almost  certain  death  to 
attempt  it  ? No,  she  could  not  be  so  rash  as 
that,  as  strong  as  was  the  yearning  within  her 
for  freedom. 

She  stepped  back  with  another  despairing 
cry.  How  tantalizing  it  was  to  have  that 
opening  there,  while  at  the  same  time  she  dared 
not  avail  herself  of  it ! 

As  she  drew  further  back,  her  eyes  still 
fixed  wistfully  upon  the  opening  in  the  wall 
above  her,  the  hand  that  held  the  candle 
rested  suddenly  against  the  niche  in  which 
the  image  of  Kwan-yin  had  so  lately  been. 
Immediately  Margaret  became  conscious  of  a 
draught  that  almost  blew  out  the  flame  of  the 
candle.  Turning  her  head  quickly  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause,  she  felt  her  heart  begin  again 
to  beat  furiously  with  joy.  The  masonry  that 
had  filled  in  this  niche  at  the  back  had  been 
almost  entirely  dislodged,  disclosing  an  open- 
ing that  at  one  time  undoubtedly  formed  a 
low  doorway. 

Protecting  the  flame  of  the  candle  with  her 
palm,  Margaret  leaned  as  far  through  it  as  she 
could  for  the  stonework  which  rose  as  an  ele- 


34°  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

vated  sill  some  three  feet  above  the  floor.  To 
Margaret’s  increasing  delight  she  discovered 
there  was  space  beyond  this  opening. 

“ I will  risk  it ! ” she  said  bravely.  “ Any- 
thing, except  death,  is  preferable  to  this  awful 
imprisonment.  Besides,  if  I do  not  act 
quickly,  the  monks  may  come,  and  thus  shut 
off  whatever  hope  I have  of  escape.” 

Margaret  had  no  idea  at  that  moment  of  the 
extent  of  the  damage  wrought  by  the  earth- 
quake, especially  throughout  the  older  portion 
of  the  monastery.  She,  of  course,  could  not 
know  that  passageways  were  blocked  up  which, 
until  cleared,  completely  shut  off  the  monks 
from  the  underground  portion  of  the  eastern 
wing  of  the  monastery. 

Securing  the  remaining  candle,  which  had 
not  yet  been  lighted,  and  also  taking  care  to 
deposit  in  her  pocket  the  fruit  and  wheaten 
cake  left  over  from  her  repast  of  yesterday, 
Margaret  again  approached  the  alcove  where 
the  image  of  Kwan-yih  had  so  lately  been, 
and  cautiously  made  her  way  through  it. 

“If  I do  succeed  in  escaping,  I shall  think 
the  god  was  a merciful  one,  after  all,”  she  said 
to  herself  with  a faint  smile. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  341 

As  she  had  feared,  the  adjoining  apartment 
into  which  she  had  now  come  proved  to  be 
only  another  cell.  Her  heart  sank  as  she 
noted  the  grim  walls  about  her. 

“ Have  I stepped  from  one  trap  to  another  ? ” 
she  asked  in  despair. 

But  after  another  and  a more  careful  scru- 
tiny of  her  surroundings,  she  found  that  while 
three  walls  of  the  cell  remained  almost  intact, 
the  fourth  and  outer  one  had  a great  opening 
made  halfway  across  it.  As  she  held  the 
candle  above  her  head,  Margaret  could  see 
plainly  the  cracks  in  the  opposite  wall  of  the 
passageway  against  which  the  stones  from  this 
one  had  been  hurled,  falling  in  a heap  be- 
side it. 

Picking  her  way  cautiously,  she  passed 
through  the  breach  in  the  fallen  wall  and 
turned  to  go  along  the  passage,  which  she  was 
sure  led  through  the  older  portion  of  the 
monastery  and  no  doubt  to  a stairway  that 
would  carry  her  above.  But  she  had  pro- 
ceeded only  a few  paces  when  she  found 
farther  progress  in  that  direction  stopped  by 
a great  mass  of  debris  that  seemed  to  be  the 
walls  of  two  cells  fallen  together. 


342  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ It  has  been  more  terrible  than  I thought ! ” 
Margaret  exclaimed,  her  face  suddenly  grow- 
ing very  white.  Then  she  thought  of  her 
friends,  hoping  most  fervently  that  no  harm 
had  befallen  them. 

She  returned  toward  the  opening  through 
which  she  had  entered  the  passageway.  Here 
the  obstruction  did  not  seem  to  be  so  great. 
Margaret  now  recalled  that  the  wrall  along  the 
passage  of  the  cell  she  had  occupied  had  re- 
mained standing,  as  had  the  others  within  the 
newer  wing.  No  doubt  if  she  could  succeed 
in  climbing  over  this  mass  of  heaped  stones 
and  mortar,  she  could  find  a clearer  way  be- 
yond. 

She  began  the  ascent,  picking  her  way 
slowly  and  with  caution,  for  she  also  recalled 
the  tottering  condition  of  the  wall  just  within 
her  cell.  One  false  step  might  dislodge  it. 
After  a space  of  time  that  seemed  to  her  al- 
most interminable,  Margaret  reached  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mass  of  debris.  She  had  now  to 
stoop  low  to  make  her  way  through  the  tun- 
nel-like space  lying  between  it  and  the  over- 
head wall.  Luckily  there  was  a great  beam 
here  which  had  kept  most  of  the  ceiling 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  343 

at  this  spot  from  giving  way,  though  Mar- 
garet could  see  seams  and  rents  in  the 
masonry. 

She  was  no  more  than  halfway  down  the 
descent,  when  a stone  on  which  she  had  just 
placed  her  foot  rolled  with  her  and  Margaret 
felt  herself  falling.  She  threw  out  her  hand 
to  catch  what  support  she  could,  and  in  so  do- 
ing let  the  candle  slip  from  her  grasp.  It  was 
quickly  extinguished,  and  thus  in  total  dark- 
ness Margaret  felt  herself  rolling  and  pitching 
from  stone  to  stone.  She  managed,  however, 
to  preserve  her  balance  to  a certain  extent, 
though  finally,  as  she  came  to  a sudden  halt, 
it  was  to  find  herself  upon  her  knees,  which 
were  smarting  from  the  bruises  they  had  re- 
ceived. Still  upon  her  knees,  Margaret 
reached  out  feeling  for  the  floor  of  the  pas- 
sage, against  which  she  was  almost  sure  she 
had  fallen.  She  was  not  mistaken,  her  hand 
quickly  coming  in  contact  with  its  surface. 
She  had  lost  her  candle,  but  fortunately  she 
had  another.  As  quickly  as  she  could,  she 
lighted  this  one,  and  slowly  raised  it,  looking 
carefully  about  her. 

She  had  no  more  than  done  this  when  a 


344  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

sharp  cry  escaped  her,  and  she  came  near 
dropping  the  candle  in  the  shock  she  had  re- 
ceived. It  was  no  wonder  she  cried  out,  for 
lying  no  more  than  five  feet  away  from  her 
was  a priest,  stretched  upon  his  back.  There 
could  be  no  mistaking  that  rigid  pose  and  the 
gleaming  pallor  of  the  upturned  face,  seen 
more  clearly  in  the  candle's  rays,  as  Margaret 
raised  herself  and  leaned  forward  for  a nearer 
view. 

He  was  quite  dead.  She  was  altogether 
sure  of  it  now.  A flying  stone  had  struck 
him  upon  the  head  and  he  had  been  hurled 
backward,  dying  almost  instantly,  as  was  ap- 
parent from  the  appearance  of  the  body. 

“ He  was  coming  along  the  passageway  from 
the  wing,"  said  Margaret,  still  contemplating 
him  with  pitying  eye  and  loudly  beating 
heart.  “ Can  there  be  means  of  egress  through 
this  wing?  Surely  there  must  be!  Yet  was 
he  really  coming  in  this  direction  ? ” It  was 
like  a cloud  dimming  her  hope  as  she  thought 
it  might  have  been  otherwise.  Perhaps,  after 
all,  the  priest  had  come  through  the  older  por- 
tion of  the  monastery,  and  had  turned  about 
to  open  the  door  of  her  cell,  was  in  fact  in  the 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  345 

very  act  of  doing  so  when  the  shock  came  and 
the  fatal  stone  had  struck  him. 

Yet  Margaret  would  not  give  up  hope. 
There  must  be  outlet  in  this  direction.  These 
Buddhist  monasteries,  she  had  heard,  were 
completely  honeycombed  with  secret  stairways 
and  passages.  There  was  one  in  particular  in 
the  Diamond  Mountain  region  that  was  said 
to  contain  several  miles  of  underground  tun- 
nelings. The  priests,  it  was  stated,  could  en- 
ter and  leave  the  monastery  by  means  of  a 
dozen  different  passages  without  any  one  but 
themselves  being  any  the  wiser.  No  doubt 
this  one,  too,  had  many  ways  of  entering  and 
leaving  it.  If  only  she  kept  up  a stout  heart 
and  remained  alert,  she  would  surely  find 
some  means  of  escape  from  this  Buddhist 
prison,  growing  more  and  more  of  a torture 
every  moment  she  remained  in  it. 

Her  first  desire  was  to  search  for  the  lost 
candle,  which  she  felt  sure  she  would  need. 
She  searched  patiently,  but  in  vain.  Just  as 
she  was  giving  up  in  despair,  she  detected  it 
lying  deep  down  in  a crevice  of  the  debris, 
from  which  she  had  considerable  trouble  in 
extracting  it. 


346  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

She  was  passing  on,  when  some  impulse 
caused  her  to  pause  and  cast  another  pitying 
look  upon  the  dead  monk.  She  was  standing 
now  very  near  the  body,  and  his  rigid  face 
showed  distinctly  in  the  candle-light.  He  was 
not  one  of  those  who  had  come  to  the  cell  to 
bring  her  food  and  water,  she  felt  sure. 

As  Margaret  lowered  the  candle  to  pass  on, 
her  heart  still  full  of  pitying  thoughts  of  the 
poor  creature  who  had  met  so  tragic  a death, 
the  sadness  came  to  sudden  end  in  the  wild 
cry  of  joy  that  sprang  to  her  lips.  Something 
near  to  the  outstretched  hand  of  the  monk, 
and  flashing  in  the  candle’s  beams,  had  caught 
her  eye.  It  was  a bunch  of  keys  ; one  quite 
massive,  suggesting  almost  the  door  of  a for- 
tress, and  two  others  much  smaller,  yet  also 
suggesting  strength  and  locks  no  light  turning 
would  open. 

“ Hurrah  ! ” Margaret  cried,  as  she  caught 
them  up.  “ Perhaps  these  are  the  keys  of  some 
of  the  outer  doors  ! ” At  any  rate  she  decided 
to  take  them  with  her. 

She  went  on  now  with  lighter  step.  There 
were  few  signs  of  the  earthquake  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  building.  Now  and  then  a stone 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  347 

or  little  heaps  of  mortar  lay  in  her  path.  She 
could  see,  too,  occasional  rents  in  the  walls  as 
she  flashed  the  candle-light  upon  them.  She 
had  gone  only  about  thirty  feet  or  so  when  she 
came  to  another  passageway  crossing  at  right 
angles  the  one  she  had  been  threading. 
Should  she  turn  down  it  to  left  or  right,  or 
should  she  continue  to  follow  this  one.  After 
a moment  of  hesitation  the  decision  came  to  try 
this  one  so  far  as  it  went.  If  at  its  ending  she 
did  not  find  an  outlet,  she  would  retrace  her 
steps,  to  try  each  of  the  other  passageways  in 
turn.  Some  forty  feet  beyond  this  angle,  she 
came  to  yet  another  passageway  crossing  in  the 
same  manner.  Again  the  resolution  was 
formed  to  stick  to  the  first  passageway  until 
she  had  fully  explored  it. 

All  this  while  Margaret  had  not  been  with- 
out the  dread  of  discovery.  She  constantly 
looked  behind  her  as  though  expecting  to  see 
one  or  more  of  the  priests  looming  up  in  pur- 
suit. It  made  her  nervous,  too,  to  approach 
one  of  the  diverging  passageways,  for  she  did 
not  know  at  what  moment  certain  of  the 
monks,  on  their  rounds,  might  come  suddenly 
from  out  the  shadows  and  confront  her. 


348  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Suddenly,  as  Margaret  pressed  on  through 
the  passageway,  which  now  seemed  to  widen 
out  somewhat,  she  caught  a sound  that  made 
her  heart  leap  to  her  throat.  Was  it  a foot- 
step ? and  was  she  indeed  followed  ? 

“ Why,  it  is  water ! ” exclaimed  Margaret 
after  another  moment  of  intent  listening. 
“ There  it  is  again  ! It  sounds  like  water  that 
is  trickling  down  some  surface.  Where  can 
it  be?” 

She  pressed  forward,  her  candle  held  well 
in  front  of  her.  The  passageway  had  percep- 
tibly widened.  A few  more  paces  and  she 
emerged  suddenly  into  what  seemed  a vast 
apartment  with  high,  vaulted  roof.  The  sound 
had  now  grown  much  more  distinct.  There 
was  unmistakably  running  water  at  hand,  but 
now  it  sounded  more  like  water  that  lapped  a 
shore.  Suddenly  a remembrance  flashed  upon 
Margaret. 

“ It  must  be  the  underground  stream  about 
which  Kang  told  Arthur,”  she  exclaimed ; 
“ the  one,  as  he  declared,  that  had  a secret 
landing  in  or  near  to  the  monastery,  known 
only  to  the  priests  and  a few  others.” 

Margaret  paused,  her  heart  beating  as 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  349 

though  it  were  in  her  throat.  Even  if 
boats  were  there,  would  it  be  possible  for 
her  to  find  her  way  out  by  this  subterranean 
stream?  Almost  at  the  moment  of  asking 
the  question,  Margaret  realized  the  difficulty 
of  the  undertaking,  since  Kang  had  also  added 
the  information  that  the  subterranean  passage 
was  quite  intricate  and  hard  to  follow  without 
the  guidance  of  one  who  knew  it  well.  “ Yet,” 
she  resolved,  her  lips  firmly  pressed  together 
and  her  heart  swelling  with  a superb  courage, 
“ if  after  trying  all  the  passageways,  I find  no 
means  of  escape,  I will  return  and  trust  my- 
self to  the  stream,  provided,  of  course,  that  I 
find  a boat.” 

A boat  was  there,  she  saw  in  a few  mo- 
ments, and  not  only  one,  but  two.  For  as 
she  held  the  candle  aloft,  advancing  across 
the  vaulted  space,  the  gleaming  of  circling 
water  caught  her  eye,  and  just  beyond  the 
ripple  of  waves  as  they  lapped  the  shore, 
were  two  small  boats  gently  swaying  at 
anchor. 

Margaret  sprang  forward,  and  stood  for  an 
instant  regarding  the  stream  and  its  craft  with 
misty  eyes  and  a heart  beating  loudly.  Why 


350  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

not  risk  it  now  ? Perhaps  if  she  went  back 
along  the  passageways,  seeking  other  outlet, 
she  would  be  discovered  and  seized  again  and 
returned  to  prison.  Rather  than  face  this 
possibility,  she  felt  that  she  would  prefer  to 
trust  herself  a dozen  times  to  the  under- 
ground stream.  The  current  flowed  outward, 
of  course,  and  it  must  empty  into  the  Han ; 
and  it  no  doubt  made  considerable  descent  ere 
it  reached  the  river.  Perhaps  if  she  kept  her 
wits  about  her,  she  might  follow  the  channel 
safely. 

She  turned  aside,  and  lowering  her  light 
began  to  make  closer  survey  of  the  shore  of 
the  stream.  How  were  the  boats  fastened? 
Would  it  be  easy  to  release  one  of  them? 
And  then  she  became  aware  that  there  was 
yet  another  boat.  It  had  been  drawn  ashore 
to  some  little  distance  beyond  the  water  line. 
It  was  smaller  than  either  of  the  others,  and 
it  seemed  to  Margaret  that  this  might  the 
better  serve  her  purpose.  But  would  she  be 
able  to  pull  it  to  the  water’s  edge  and  launch 
it?  She  approached  it,  holding  the  light  for 
closer  inspection. 

The  boat  lay  imbedded  in  the  sand,  and  it 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  351 

did  not  take  Margaret  long  to  discover  that  it 
had  been  there  for  a long  while.  The  boat, 
too,  showed  the  ravages  of  time.  Its  timbers 
were  beginning  to  fall  apart ; its  once  spick- 
and-span  coat  of  white  and  blue  paint  had 
cracked  and  peeled. 

Something  in  the  appearance  of  the  boat 
caused  Margaret  to  drop  suddenly  to  her  knees 
beside  it,  uttering  a sharp  cry. 

“ Oh,  can  it  be?  ” she  gasped.  “ But  no,  it 
surely  is  impossible  ! ” 

She  held  the  candle  nearer  still,  so  near 
that  had  the  boat  been  a living  creature,  it 
must  have  cried  out  under  the  pain  of  the 
flame’s  heat. 

Margaret’s  eyes  followed  the  track  of  light. 
Intently  they  searched  each  plank  of  the  little 
boat.  Suddenly  the  candle  dropped  from  her 
grasp  as  though  its  scorching  flame  had  swept 
over  her  fingers.  It  fell  to  the  sand  and  lay 
there  sputtering,  threatening  each  moment 
to  go  out.  But  Margaret  paid  no  heed. 
She  had  found  something  which  for  the 
moment  rendered  her  as  motionless  as  the 
boat  itself,  so  overwhelming  was  the  dis- 
covery. 


352  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Along  the  plank,  just  below  the  gunwale 
of  the  little  craft,  she  had  traced  the  letters 
she  sought,  dim  with  age,  it  is  true,  but  never- 
theless there — “ The  Philippa.” 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


THE  VOICE  THROUGH  THE  GRATING 

It  was  indeed  the  little  boat  belonging  to 
the  Philippa  ; the  one  in  which  Walter  Griffin 
had  made  short  journeys  along  the  river  while 
the  sampan  was  at  its  moorings.  How  well 
Margaret  remembered  the  natty  little  craft ! 
for  it  was  by  means  of  it  the  young  artist  had 
sought  the  sampan  the  morning  they  had 
stood  along  the  shore  to  bid  him  good-bye. 
The  sampan  had  been  moored  some  yards 
away  in  charge  of  the  polemen. 

This  smaller  boat  had  been  an  afterthought, 
and  a very  happy  one,  young  Griffin  declared. 

“ With  it,”  he  had  said,  “ I can  go  out  into 
all  sorts  of  nooks  and  corners  where  we  would 
not  dare  take  the  sampan.” 

Now  here  it  lay  deeply  imbedded  within 
the  sand  along  the  shore  of  the  subterranean 
stream,  at  the  landing-place  within  the  monas- 
tery. 

“ How  had  it  come  here  ? ” 

353 


354  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

This  question  had  awakened  a tumult  within 
Margaret’s  heart. 

She  picked  up  the  candle,  which  now  had 
almost  sputtered  itself  out,  and  bent  again 
for  an  inspection  of  the  little  craft.  As 
she  did  so,  an  article  of  clothing  caught  her 
eye.  Quickly  she  reached  out  to  take  it,  yet 
almost  reverently.  She  laid  it  down  again  in 
a moment,  a sob  catching  in  her  throat.  It 
was  a man’s  coat,  apparently  thrown  carelessly 
down,  and  well  she  remembered  the  blue  and 
black  mixture  of  the  soft  woolen  fabric,  though 
the  dust  and  cobwebs  of  time  lay  thick  upon 
it.  Walter  Griffin  had  had  just  such  a coat  as 
that  when  he  went  away. 

Overcome  by  the  discovery,  Margaret  sank 
again  to  her  knees,  her  heart  beating  so  loudly 
it  seemed  like  the  rapid  tapping  of  a hammer. 

“ What  did  it  mean  ? What  was  the  little 
boat,  with  the  coat  thrown  carelessly  down 
within  it,  doing  here?” 

As  Margaret  again  asked  the  question,  light 
seemed  breaking.  Again  there  rushed  back 
upon  memory  certain  words  spoken  by  the 
abbot  during  the  bitter  denunciation  in  the 
Hall  of  Judgment.  Once  or  twice  during  her 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  355 

imprisonment  she  had  recalled  these  words, 
with  a feeling  that  awakened  her  heart  into  a 
sudden  tumultuous  beating,  but  each  time  the 
strange  thoughts  had  passed  away  as  soon  as  the 
recollection  of  her  own  troubles  returned  with 
overwhelming  force.  Some  one  else  had  been 
guilty  of  a deed  like  hers,  the  abbot  had 
declared.  Some  one  else  had  met  with  the 
same  punishment ; and  the  abbot  had  de- 
nounced them  both  as  being  of  the  “ same 
hated  breed  ! ” O could  it  be ? 

Margaret’s  thoughts  stopped  midway  of  the 
question,  for  now  she  caught  a sound  that 
filled  her  with  alarm.  There  was  a noise  in 
the  passage  beyond  as  of  hurrying  feet,  though 
they  seemed  to  be  light  feet.  Instantly  she 
extinguished  the  candle,  and,  creeping  around 
to  the  other  side  of  the  boat,  sank  down, 
crouching  close  against  it.  If  the  person  ap- 
proaching bore  a light,  she  would  not  be  seen 
so  easily,  as  she  would  be  shielded  by  the 
boat. 

Suddenly  she  caught  again  and  more  dis- 
tinctly the  swift  rushing  of  feet,  which  un- 
mistakably were  now  coming  straight  toward 
her.  What  could  it  mean  ? Had  she  waited 


356  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


too  long  to  extinguish  the  candle  ? Its  circle 
of  flame  had  no  doubt  betrayed  her.  She 
sank  still  further  down  upon  the  sand,  almost 
outstretched  upon  it,  in  fact,  and  buried  her 
face  within  her  hands,  waiting. 

There  was  a sudden  cessation  of  the  noise. 
The  person,  if  person  it  were,  seemed  to  have 
come  to  a standstill,  as  though  debating  in 
which  direction  to  turn  his  footsteps  in  the 
search  for  her. 

Margaret  opened  her  eyes  and  raised  her 
head  a little.  She  caught  no  reflection  of  a 
light.  What  could  it  mean  ? She  sat  up  now 
so  as  to  have  a more  extended  view.  As  she 
did  so  her  hand,  on  one  finger  of  which  she 
wore  a small,  plain  gold  ring,  came  in  contact 
with  a bit  of  metal  riveting  the  planks  of  the 
boat.  It  sent  forth  a sharp,  clinking  sound. 
In  the  deep  silence  that  prevailed,  the  noise 
seemed  to  Margaret  many  times  intensified. 
She  awaited  results  with  breath  quick  in- 
drawn. Had  other  ears  caught  the  sound, 
and  would  it  serve  to  locate  her  whereabouts  ? 

Almost  ere  the  question  was  completed,  she 
heard  again  the  rush  of  feet.  Then,  as  her 
heart  beat  wildly,  and  she  crouched  again,  her 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  357 

head  bowed  upon  her  hands,  trying  to  prepare 
herself  for  the  blow  that  surely  must  fall  now, 
there  was  the  sudden  weight  of  a body  spring- 
ing forcefully  against  her.  She  waited  for  the 
hands  to  seize  her — but  oh,  could  it  be  ? What 
was  the  meaning  of  this  wild  demonstration 
of  joy  ? of  a little  hairy  body  tumbling  against 
her  in  a frenzy  of  excitement  and  delight  ? of 
a warm,  moist  tongue  bathing  her  face  and 
hands  with  caresses?  of  a quivering,  high- 
pitched  voice  speaking  all  the  love-words 
known  to  its  language  ? 

“ Hans  ! Hans  ! ” cried  Margaret,  as  she 
caught  the  little  hairy  body  to  her  heart  and 
hugged  it  so  tightly  that  the  voice  of  joy 
changed  to  a yelp  of  pain.  “ Oh  Hans,  precious 
doggie  ! can  it  be  possible  ? ” 

So  soon  as  she  could  relight  the  candle,  be- 
ing sadly  retarded  in  the  effort  by  her  own 
trembling  fingers  and  the  dog’s  further  demon- 
strations of  joy,  she  saw  that  it  was  Hans,  true 
enough.  Yes,  it  was  indeed  the  little  shaggy 
Scotch  terrier  who  had  gone  with  Walter  Grif- 
fin on  that  last  trip  up  the  river,  and  whom 
they  had  believed  sleeping  the  last  sleep  with 
his  master  deep  down  under  the  waters  of  the 


358  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

Han.  Since  Hans  was  alive,  and  not  dead  as 
they  had  believed,  might  not  his  master ? 

Margaret  got  up,  white  and  trembling,  but 
there  was  a warm  scarlet  line  burning  where 
her  lips  were  pressed  resolutel}*  together. 

Seeing  her  movement,  Hans  gave  a quick, 
glad  bark  and  darted  ahead. 

“ Not  so  fast,  Hans  ! ” she  called  to  him,  and 
her  voice  quivered. 

He  seemed  to  understand,  and  slackened  his 
pace,  but,  as  he  moved  on  again,  he  kept  look- 
ing back  anxiously.  Surely  she  knew  he 
wanted  her  to  follow  him. 

A tumult  of  emotions  swept  over  Margaret, 
as  she  held  the  candle  carefully  and  endeav- 
ored to  follow  the  little  dog  with  as  steady  a 
step  as  she  could  command.  Excitement,  joy, 
anticipation  were  uppermost ; nevertheless, 
there  was,  too,  a feeling  of  dread.  So  far  she 
had  escaped  detection  by  the  monks,  yet  if  she 
returned  to  the  passageways,  might  she  not  be 
discovered?  Yet  how  could  she  draw  back  in 
face  of  that  which  the  appearance  of  the  little 
dog  promised  ? No,  no  ; she  must  not  turn 
coward  now,  she  must  go  on  despite  the  dan- 
ger tc  herself. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  359 

Hans  suddenly  darted  down  the  first  cross- 
ing of  the  passageways,  and  to  the  right.  It 
had  been  on  Margaret’s  left  as  she  went  to- 
ward the  subterranean  stream. 

Margaret  still  held  tightly  to  the  bunch  of 
keys.  After  all,  the  great  key  might  only  be 
the  one  to  unlock  the  door  of  Yo-do-ki’s  cell. 
Yet  there  were  the  other  two,  and  for  sake  of 
these,  which  might  unlock  doors  of  passage- 
ways, she  kept  close  clasp  of  all. 

At  the  third  door  down  the  passageway 
Hans  suddenly  stopped  with  a sharp  little 
yelp  of  joy.  Then  he  began  to  scratch  vigor- 
ously at  the  lower  grating  of  the  great  barred 
door,  turning  his  head  at  quick  intervals  to 
gaze  beseechingly  at  Margaret.  There  was  a 
light  in  the  cell,  which  showed  faintly  through 
the  closely  grated  door. 

“ What  is  it,  Hans?  What  is  it?”  cried 
Margaret  in  low,  quivering  voice,  as  she  bent 
above  the  little  dog.  “ What  is  it  you  are  try- 
ing so  hard  to  tell  me,  doggie  ? ” 

Not  yet  could  she  risk  her  voice  in  louder 
tones,  for  she  did  not  know  who  might  be 
within  the  cell,  nor  in  the  other  cells  near. 

“ Be  still,  Hans,”  she  said  again  to  the  dog, 


360  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


“ let  us  be  more  cautious.”  She  could  scarcely 
speak  the  words,  her  heart  was  beating  so. 

But  now  another  voice  spoke  to  the  dog,  a 
voice  within  the  cell,  and  at  sound  of  it  Mar- 
garet sprang  up,  straightening  herself  as 
though  an  electric  shock  had  passed  through 
her. 

“ Is  that  you,  Hans  ? Have  you  really  come 
back,  you  rogue?  Well,  you’ll  have  to  wait 
now  for  the  monks  to  bring  our  daily  bread 
and  water,  before  you  can  get  in  again.  In 
the  meantime,  you  rascal,  as  I know  you’ll  be 
hungry,  I’ll  pass  you  out  some  of  the  cakes.” 

There  was  a movement  within  as  though 
the  speaker  approached  the  door. 

Like  the  sudden  flashing  of  light  the 
thought  came  to  Margaret  of  the  great  key ! 
She  would  try  it,  for  it  might  not,  after  all,  be 
the  key  to  the  cell  of  Yo-do-ki. 

At  last,  after  a time  of  mighty  tugging,  into 
which  she  threw  not  only  all  the  physical 
strength  of  which  she  was  capable,  but  the  full 
force  as  well  of  her  resolute  will,  Margaret  felt 
the  key  turning  in  the  lock.  The  door  opened 
slowly,  and  then  only  because  of  the  full 
pressure  she  exerted  upon  it.  In  her  effort  to 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  361 

open  the  door,  her  candle  had  fallen  and  was 
extinguished. 

Hans  was  the  first  to  enter,  darting  swiftly 
through  the  aperture  so  soon  as  it  was  large 
enough  to  admit  him. 

Margaret  saw  the  figure  within  stoop  for  a 
moment  to  caress  the  little  dog.  Then  he 
suddenly  straightened  himself,  and,  stepping 
further  backward  from  the  door,  folded  his 
arms  and  awaited  the  will  of  the  priests,  as  he 
thought. 

The  earthenware  lamp  burning  within  the 
oiled  paper  lantern,  gave  but  a dim  light,  but 
it  was  sufficient  for  Margaret  to  see  the  figure 
of  the  cell’s  occupant.  His  hair  fell  upon  his 
shoulders,  his  beard  was  long  and  ragged,  his 
face  had  an  almost  deathly  pallor,  and  he  was 
clothed  in  monk’s  robes.  Margaret’s  heart 
was  beating  almost  to  suffocation.  The  walls 
of  the  grated  door,  the  pallid  face  all  swam 
before  her  eyes,  then  she  made  a desperate 
effort  and  recovered  herself.  Suddenly  her 
voice  sobbed  through  the  room, 

“ Oh,  Mr.  Walter  ! Mr.  Walter  ! At  last ! at 
last ! Can  it  really  be  true  ? ” 

It  was  Walter  Griffin,  the  young  man  for 


362  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

whom  brother  and  friends,  and  even  the  law, 
had  searched  in  vain  for  years,  yet  who  was 
found  at  last  through  a young  girl’s  loyalty 
and  courage. 

He  uttered  a low  cry  and  sprang  forward, 
putting  out  his  hands  in  a piteous,  groping 
way  as  though  his  senses  were  benumbed  by 
the  suddenness  of  this  overwhelming  joy. 
Up  to  this  moment  he  had  not  seen  her  clearly, 
as  she  had  remained  partly  shielded  by  the 
door.  Now  as  he  heard  her  voice  and  saw  her 
fully  as  she  stepped  away  from  the  door  to- 
ward him,  the  cry  was  repeated,  and  with 
more  intensity. 

“ Margaret ! ” he  gasped.  “ Little  Margaret 
Vance!  Is  it  possible?  Am  I not  dream- 
ing? ” 

Margaret  caught  the  hands  extended  to  her. 
She  pressed  her  forehead  down  upon  them, 
great  sobs  swelling  in  her  throat. 

“ To  think,”  she  cried,  “ that  I should  have 
been  the  one  to  find  you  ! ” 

He  released  his  hands,  and,  putting  his  arm 
about  her,  drew  her  to  him  and  kissed  her. 
His  own  eyes  were  raining  tears. 

“ Margaret,  dear  child,”  he  said  softly, 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  363 

brokenly,  “ can  it  indeed  be  you  ? ” Then  he 
added  more  firmly,  “ But  tell  me,  my  child, 
how  did  this  happen?  How  did  you  ever 
come  here?  It  certainly  is  most  astound- 
ing ! ” 

As  rapidly  as  she  could  Margaret  told  the 
story  of  the  little  sampan  party  and  its  jour- 
ney from  Seoul.  All  the  while  she  was  op- 
pressed by  the  fear  that  if  they  lost  precious 
time  in  lingering  here  they  would  be  discov- 
ered, and  thus  all  hope  of  escape  be  cut  off. 
Thus  she  urged  their  departure  even  while 
she  talked  to  him,  concluding  the  account, 
in  fact,  as  they  went  along  the  passageways. 
They  had  taken  the  precaution  to  relock  the 
door  of  the  cell  and  Margaret  had  again  the 
keys  in  her  hand. 

His  own  story  he  told  her  in  snatches  as 
they  moved  on  near  together  and  conversing 
in  low  tones.  He  had  indeed  been  at  the 
monastery,  as  Kingen  had  said,  and  there 
had  been  a quarrel  with  the  abbot.  That 
ecclesiastical  dignitary  accused  him  of  prying 
into  matters  that  did  not  concern  him,  and 
plainly  intimated  to  him  that  he  must  be 
gone. 


364  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ No  doubt  I did  pry/’  admitted  young 
Griffin,  “ for  I was  wild  to  obtain  inside  in- 
formation concerning  certain  mystic  rites  of 
the  priests.  It  was  the  final  touch  desired  for 
the  book  I had  in  preparation,  and  would 
make  a stir  in  the  world,  I was  sure.  That 
this  incontrollable  desire  led  to  my  final  un- 
doing, I see  you  have  guessed.  I did  go  away 
from  the  monastery  just  as  Kingen,  the  little 
maid,  related  to  you.  But  that  same  evening 
I returned,  not  openly,  but  secretly.  It  was 
by  way  of  the  subterranean  passage,  of  which 
my  servant,  Won-su,  had  told  me,  and  which 
he  declared  he  knew.  It  was  on  that  very 
evening,  I had  learned,  that  the  mystic  rites 
were  to  be  celebrated. 

“ My  sampan  was  moored  up  stream  from 
the  monastery,  and  only  a mile  or  so  from  the 
mouth  of  the  cavern  that  gives  entrance  to 
the  secret  waterway.  The  abbot,  I knew, 
would  not  expect  me  to  leave  the  vicinity 
until  the  next  day.  In  the  meantime  I re- 
solved upon  a most  reckless  plan  to  be  an 
eye-witness  of  the  mystic  rites  known  as  the 
‘ Judgment  of  the  Buddha,’  the  same,  dear 
child,  that  proved  your  own  undoing. 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  365 

“ I had  among  my  effects  in  the  sampan 
the  robes  of  a Buddhist  priest,  and  also  a 
cowl  worn  by  them  during  certain  stages  of 
penance.  Thus  disguised,  I took  the  little 
boat,  and,  bribing  Won-su  to  accompany  me  in 
another  little  craft  belonging  to  one  of  the 
polemen,  I set  out  for  the  monastery  just  as 
dusk  had  fallen. 

“ Later,  I will  tell  you  all  the  events  of  that 
undertaking,  Margaret.  Suffice  it  now  to  say 
that  my  plans  carried  well  up  to  the  final 
moment  of  discovery.  Disguised  as  a priest, 
I passed  through  the  corridors  with  the 
others,  though  I did  not  dare  go  so  far  as  to 
present  myself  among  them  at  the  altar.  I 
concealed  myself  near  by  the  canopy,  and  but 
for  the  sudden  flashing  up  of  the  red  light 
and  my  own  imprudence  in  exposing  myself 
just  at  that  moment,  I believe  that  I would 
have  succeeded  in  getting  through  safely/’ 

All  this  while  Hans  had  been  frisking 
about  the  feet  of  his  master  and  Margaret 
with  the  greatest  delight.  His  instinct  told 
him  that  this  was  a joyous  quest  on  which 
they  were  now  bound,  the  quest  for  freedom. 
Suddenly  his  master  stooped  and  patted  him. 


366  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ Had  Hans  been  with  me  in  the  hal-l,”  he 
continued,  addressing  Margaret,  “ I would,  no 
doubt,  have  had  him  to  blame  for  my  capture. 
But  I had  left  him  in  the  little  boat,  to  guard 
my  coat.” 

“ The  coat  is  there  yet,”  said  Margaret. 

“ That  is  lucky.  It  will  be  a relief  to  have 
even  a part  of  civilized  dress  again.” 

“ I wonder  that  you  risked  leaving  the 
craft  and  the  coat  there  in  such  plain  view  of 
the  priests,”  remarked  Margaret  suddenly. 

“O  I did  not  do  that,”  he  replied  smiling. 
“ That  would  indeed  have  been  a bad  error, 
Meg,  after  all  the  careful  planning.  When  I 
had  landed,  Won-su  took  the  boats  and  re- 
turned along  the  stream  a short  distance  to  a 
place  of  concealment  he  knew.  He  had  em- 
phatic orders  not  to  let  Hans  leave  him. 
By  the  way,  the  little  rogue  invited  himself 
to  accompany  us,  keeping  concealed  under 
my  coat  until  we  were  well  under  way.” 

The  young  man  stooped  again  to  pat  the 
shaggy  little  friend  who  had  so  faithfully  and 
cheerfully  shared  his  imprisonment  for  all 
these  years. 

“ As  hour  after  hour  passed  away,  and  I did 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  367 

not  return,  Won-su  no  doubt,  growing  alarmed 
and  believing  the  worst  had  happened  to  me, 
went  away  at  last.  He  did  not  do  this,  how- 
ever, I think,  until  he  had  moored  the  little 
craft  where  I could  plainly  see  it  and  make 
use  of  it,  in  the  event  that  I did,  in  time, 
escape.  The  priests,  no  doubt,  drew  it  ashore, 
and  their  superstitions  have  prevented  their 
making  way  with  it.” 

“ But  what  of  Hans  ? ” asked  Margaret,  still 
perplexed  with  reference  to  the  little  dog. 

“ When  I reached  my  cell,  Margaret, 
in  charge  of  the  priests,”  replied  Walter 
Griffin,  his  voice  dropping  again  to  its  tone 
of  sadness,  “ Hans  was  there  in  the  corridor, 
and  he  has  been  with  me  ever  since.  He 
doubtless  scented  my  coming,  as  he  no  doubt 
scented  you,  I am  sure,”  the  young  man  con- 
tinued, and  in  a brighter  voice.  “ At  any 
rate,  his  actions  of  this  morning,  unaccount- 
able then,  are  very  clear  to  me  now.  I have 
noticed  for  the  past  three  or  four  days  that  he 
has  been  quite  restless,  running  to  the  grating 
at  intervals  and  sniffing  and  barking.  I 
thought  at  first  the  priests  might  have  a 
dog  somewhere  in  the  passageways  or  in 


368  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

one  of  the  cells.  It  is  not  uncommon  for 
them  to  do  this.  Bukthis  morning  when  he 
picked  his  chance  and  darted  out  after  the 
priests,  I didn't  know  what  to  think.  Then 
came  the  earthquake,  and  I feared  my  little 
dog  might  have  come  to  grief.  The  earth- 
quake no  doubt  stunned  and  confused  him, 
so  that  he  was  longer  in  getting  upon  your 
trail  than  he  would  otherwise  have  been." 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  DOOR 

“ So  there  were  two  priests,”  said  Margaret 
suddenly,  “ I mean  two  who  went  to  your  cell 
with  food  and  water.” 

“ Yes,  they  always  came  in  pairs,”  he 
added  with  a faint  smile,  “ for  fear  I should 
overpower  them  and  seek  to  escape.” 

“ Then  I wonder  where  the  other  one  can 
be  ? ” Margaret  looked  about  her  apprehen- 
sively, as  though  fearing  this  one,  at  least, 
having  escaped,  might  even  then  be  returning 
with  others  to  block  their  further  progress. 
And  freedom  now  seemed  so  near  and  so 
sweet ! 

“ He  no  doubt  went  by  another  passageway, 
and  thus  escaped  ; or  he  may  have  shared  the 
fate  of  his  companion.” 

“ I don’t  want  him  to  die,”  said  Margaret 
earnestly,  “ but  I do  pray  fervently  that  he 
may  not  be  the  means  of  our  recapture.” 

“ Amen,  Margaret ! From  the  length  of 
369 


370  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

time,  however,  that  has  elapsed  since  the 
earthquake  shock,  with  no  signs,  as  yet, 
of  the  priests,  I am  led  to  hope  that  the 
passageways  between  this  newer  wing  and 
the  older  portion  of  the  monastery  are  com- 
pletely blocked.” 

This  proved  to  be  the  case. 

In  the  first  moments  that  the  question  of 
escape  had  been  touched  upon  by  Margaret, 
Walter  Griffin  had  exclaimed, 

“ The  underground  stream!  That  is  the 
only  hope  for  us,  my  child.  We’ll  never 
succeed  by  way  of  the  monastery.  There 
are  too  many  risks.” 

But  did  he  know  the  way  out  by  means  of 
the  subterranean  stream  ? It  seemed  to  him 
in  those  first  bright  moments,  when  hope 
beckoned  alluringly,  that  he  did.  Yet  he 
was  not  so  sure  after  the  stream  was  reached 
and  he  found  himself  with  Margaret  and 
Hans  in  one  of  the  boats  of  the  monks,  the 
oars  in  his  hands.  Won-su  had  guided  him 
through  its  intricate  ways  of  the  water  pas- 
sage, yet  he  had  kept  close  note  of  its  every 
winding,  he  believed.  At  any  rate,  there 
would  be  little  paddling  to  do,  as  they  were 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  371 

going  down  stream  all  the  time.  The  chief 
thing  was  to  guide  the  boat  and  to  keep  it 
as  near  the  centre  of  the  channel  as  possible. 
If  this  were  not  done  it  might  strike  suddenly 
against  some  projecting  ledge  and  its  occu- 
pants come  to  grief. 

They  had  taken  the  lantern  from  Walter 
Griffin's  cell,  and  Margaret  still  had  the  ends 
of  her  two  precious  candles.  While  young 
Griffin  directed  the  course  of  the  boat,  Mar- 
garet held  the  light.  As  to  Hans,  he  seemed 
to  be  playing  the  part  of  skipper  and  to  be 
directing  everything. 

They  now  had  better  opportunity  to  con- 
verse, and  as  the  little  boat  glided  silently  on, 
they  made  good  use  of  it. 

Won-su’s  conduct  as  depicted  by  Margaret 
was  inexplicable  to  young  Griffin.  He  had 
always  found  his  Korean  servant  faithful  in 
every  particular. 

“ And  I believe  he  was  really  fond  of  me,” 
the  young  man  concluded. 

They  talked  further  of  Won-su  and  his 
strange  behavior.  Then  the  subject  of  the 
wrecking  of  the  sampan  was  reached.  Sud- 
denly young  Griffin  exclaimed, 


372  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ I believe  I see  things  more  clearly  now. 
Won-su  summoned  up  the  courage  to  go  to  the 
monastery  and  ask  about  me.  The  abbot 
made  him  believe  I was  dead.  It  was  the  safe 
way ; the  only  way,  in  fact,  to  successfully 
block  enquiry  so  far  as  the  monastery  was 
concerned.” 

“ But  the  wrecking  of  the  sampan  is  still  a 
mystery,”  declared  Margaret ; “ for  Dr.  Charles 
has  told  us  again  and  again  that  the  investi- 
gation proved  very  strongly  it  was  wilfully 
done.  Then  there  is  Myo’s — I mean  Won-su’s 
own  guilty  behavior.  Indeed  he  acted  like 
an  insane  man  as  he  neared  that  portion  of 
the  river  where,  it  now  seems,  your  sampan 
was  really  wrecked.  Then  think  how  he 
jumped  over  the  cliff  when  I called  him  by 
his  true  name.” 

“ It  is  all  very  strange,”  agreed  young  Grif- 
fin. “ The  most  grievous  part  of  it  .to  me 
now,”  he  added  sadly,  “ is  that  all  my  work 
of  years  is  lost ! for  my  precious  manuscripts 
together  with  all  the  sketches  I had  made  with 
such  care,  no  doubt  went  to  the  bottom  of  the 
river.” 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  373 

“ That  is  too  bad  ! ” Margaret  said  sorrow- 
fully. 

“ Then  there  was  the  treasure  of  gold  nug- 
gets. O Margaret,  how  I had  counted  on 
that ! ” 

The  tone  of  his  voice,  the  expression  of  his 
face,  showed  that  he  was  thinking  of  another 
besides  himself ; of  one  very  dear. 

But  Margaret  was  too  excited  to  note. 
Another  thought  had  come  to  her. 

“ And  Mr.  Walter,”  she  cried,  her  voice  ris- 
ing sharply,  “ all  the  polemen  who  could  after- 
ward be  found  declared  that  you  went  down 
with  the  sampan.  Some  of  the  spectators,  too, 
said  the  same  thing.” 

Young  Griffin’s  face  cleared  suddenly. 

il  All  a plot  of  the  priests,  as  I now  believe,” 
he  said.  “ The  abbot  is  wily  enough  for  any- 
thing.” 

Following  an  inclination  she  had  had  before, 
Margaret  now  asked  about  Pop-hung. 

“ I did  stay  with  him,”  replied  Walter  Grif- 
fin, “ and  the  story  about  the  easel  is  true.  I 
intended  to  pick  it  up  on  my  way  back.  But 
Pop-hung,  like  the  abbot,  is  tricky,  though  I 
do  not  believe  he  could  be  guilty  of  genuine 


374  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 


crime,  as  could  the  abbot.  But  the  fact  is 
Pop-hung  was  hanging  about  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  sampan  for  two  or  three  days  prior 
to  the  one  on  which  I made  that  fatal  return 
to  the  monastery.  He  professed  to  have  some 
business  with  Won-su,  who  was  an  old  friend  ; 
but  I had  the  uneasy  feeling  that  the  rogue 
coveted  the  golden  nuggets.” 

Suddenly  young  Griffin  straightened  him- 
self and  gazed  about  him  anxiously.  Then, 
as  a look  of  apprehension  came  into  his  face, 
an  exclamation  escaped  him. 

“ What  is  wrong?  ” asked  Margaret. 

He  did  not  reply  at  once.  When  he  did, 
she  noted  the  unsteadiness  in  his  voice. 

“ It  does  not  seem  to  me  that  this  is  the 
same  part  of  the  stream  through  which  we 
came,  I mean  Won-su  and  myself.  It  hasn’t 
a familiar  look.” 

“ Why,  how  can  you  tell,  anyway  ? ” replied 
Margaret.  It  all  looks  alike  to  me.” 

“ But  not  to  me,  or  at  least  it  ought  not. 
As  we  came  through  I noted  certain  features 
which  we  ought,  by  this  time,  to  have  seen, 
that  is  if  we  are  going  right.” 

The  last  half  of  the  sentence  seemed  to  be 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  375 

added  reluctantly,  and  it  was  no  more  than  out, 
when  young  Griffin  rested  his  paddle  against 
a ledge  near  which  they  were  passing,  and,  hold- 
ing the  boat  thus,  gazed  straight  at  Margaret. 

“The  truth  is,  Margaret,”  he  began  and 
avoiding  her  eyes  now,  “ I have  more  than 
the  suspicion  that  we  are  going  wrong,  I am 
convinced  that  we  are.  I fear  I did  not  take 
the  right  turning  at  the  start.”  He  paused, 
then  added,  “ But  I cannot  bear  to  go  back 
now.  It  seems  such  a risk.” 

“ Then  let  us  go  on,”  replied  Margaret 
steadily. 

“ But  we  do  not  know  where  this  passage 
leads  ; perhaps  into  greater  dangers  than  if  we 
returned.  The  stream  may  drop  suddenly 
over  a precipice.” 

“ Oh,  we  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  water  in 
time,”  was  the  courageous  reply.  “ Let  us  go 
on,  until  we  are  certain  danger  confronts  us. 
The  passage  may,  after  all,  lead  out  through 
some  other  way  than  the  one  by  which  you 
entered.” 

He  looked  at  her,  his  eyes  glistening. 

“ You  are  a girl  in  a hundred,  Margaret ! ” 
he  declared  admiringly. 


376  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

“ Why  not  make  it  a thousand,  while  you 
are  about  it?  ” she  asked  in  bantering  tones. 

The  fact  was,  she  felt  as  uneasy  as  Mr. 
Walter  seemed  to  be,  but  she  would  not  let 
him  see  it.  He  looked  so  frail,  as  if  barely 
strong  enough  for  the  task  before  them.  It 
was  plain  that  his  long  imprisonment  had 
been  a heavy  drain  upon  him. 

“ If  I made  it  a million  I would  come 
nearer  the  number ! ” he  declared,  his  eyes 
suddenly  brightening.  “Can  I ever  forget, 
Margaret,  what  you  have  done  for  me?  ” 
Margaret  looked  away  for  a moment.  There 
was  a vibration  in  her  voice  as  she  spoke. 

“ I'm  afraid,"  she  confessed,  “ that  I did  not 

do  it  as  much  for  you  as  for " 

His  own  heart  began  to  beat  rapidly.  There 
was  a new  quick  kindling  in  his  eyes. 

“ As  for  whom,  Margaret  ? ” 

“Aunt  Philippa,"  she  said  softly.  “She 
made  me  promise  I would  let  no  opportunity 
pass  to  learn  all  I could.  Do  you  know,  Mr. 
Walter,"  broke  off  Margaret  suddenly,  and 
turning  to  look  straight  into  his  eyes,  “ I don't 
believe  Aunt  Philippa  has  ever  really  believed 
that  you  were  dead." 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  377 

“ God  bless  her  for  it ! ” he  said  in  shaking 
voice.  His  eyes  glowed,  his  face  was  flushed. 
He  seemed  more  resolute  now,  as  though  he 
returned  to  his  task  with  greater  energy. 
Yet,  had  he  known  it,  their  surroundings 
at  that  moment  promised  anything  else  but 
hope. 

“ There’s  something  ahead,”  said  Margaret 
suddenly  ; “ it’s  right  across  the  stream.” 

For  the  last  few  moments  she  had  been 
peering  out  over  the  bow  of  the  boat,  strain- 
ing her  eyes  through  the  gloom. 

“ There ! I see  it  more  plainly  now.  It 
seems  to  be  a flight  of  stone  steps.” 

And  so  it  indeed  proved,  for  soon  the  nose 
of  the  little  craft  grated  against  it.  It  was 
evidently  a landing-place,  for  there  were  iron 
rings  to  which  boats  could  be  fastened. 

Young  Griffin  took  the  lantern  from  Mar- 
garet, and,  while  she  steadied  the  boat  by 
means  of  the  paddle,  he  carefully  studied 
their  surroundings. 

“ We  have  certainly  come  to  the  end  of  our 
way  in  this  direction,  Margaret,”  he  said  after 
a moment.  “ The  walls  shut  us  in  here  on 
every  side  but  one.  We  must  either  go  back 


378  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

along  the  way  we  have  come,  or  up  the  stair- 
way. ” 

“ Let  us  at  least  make  an  examination  of 
the  stairway.”  Then,  as  her  face  suddenly 
brightened,  she  added,  “ I have  heard  that  the 
monastery  has  more  than  one  secret  stairway 
leading  to  cliffs  where  certain  shrines  are  set. 
There  is  one  in  particular  that  leads  to  a 
promontory  where  the  abbots  and  sub-abbots 
are  interred.  If  we  reach  that,  we  may  find 
means  to  escape  from  the  other  side.” 

The  little  boat  was  now  secured  to  one  of 
the  rings,  and  with  more  hopeful  hearts  they 
began  cautiously  to  ascend  the  stairway.  It 
did  not  follow  a straight  course,  but  began 
gradually  to  curve.  When  about  thirty  of 
the  steps  had  been  climbed,  they  came  out 
suddenly  into  a circular  apartment  with  a 
concave  ceiling.  It  seemed  built  chiefly  of 
wood,  most  elaborately  carved.  The  walls 
were  of  a material  that  glistened  in  the  lan- 
tern light.  Set  at  intervals  around  the  walls 
were  various  images.  In  the  centre  of  the 
apartment  a great  gilded  dragon  with  out- 
stretched wings  barred  their  further  progress. 
There  was  an  altar  in  front  of  it,  and  a half 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  379 

circular  frame  on  either  side  richly  gilded  and 
holding  candles  in  ebony  sticks. 

“ This  may  be  the  mortuary  chapel,”  said 
young  Griffin  after  a pause  in  which  each  was 
taking  careful  note  of  the  surroundings. 
“ That  immense  ebony  pedestal  looks  some- 
thing like  a catafalque.  Perhaps  the  body  of 
each  abbot  rests  here  for  a time  oh  its  way  to 
interment.  Courage,  dear  Meg,  we  shall  no 
doubt  soon  come  out  at  the  cemetery  ! ” 

Moving  cautiously,  and  still  talking  in 
whispers,  they  found  that  there  were  two  out- 
lets from  the  apartment  in  addition  to  the  one 
by  which  they  had  come.  One  door  opened 
into  a passageway  that  seemed  to  lead  straight 
from  it ; a second  disclosed  the  continuance 
of  the  stairway  above. 

“ Shall  we  go  straight  forward,”  asked  young 
Griffin,  “ and  find  out  where  this  passageway 
leads?  ” 

“ No,  no,”  spoke  Margaret  decisively,  “ I am 
so  afraid  if  we  do,  we’ll  find  ourselves  back  in 
the  monastery.  Let  us  continue  to  go  up.” 
Other  steps  were  cautiously  climbed,  but 
not  so  many  ; then  another  circular  apartment, 
not  so  large  as  the  other,  but  similarly 


380  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

adorned.  Still  other  steps,  and  yet  another 
apartment,  and  in  this  there  were  dragons 
everywhere  visible.  On  making  a closer  ex- 
amination of  the  walls  of  this  apartment,  they 
found  that  they  were  of  marble  and  not  so 
blackened  by  the  smoke  of  burning  incense. 

A suspicion  had  taken  hold  of  Margaret, 
but  she  said  nothing  of  it  as  yet.  She  was 
beginning  to  feel  so  anxious  about  her  com- 
panion that  she  lost  sight  of  all  else  for  a 
time.  He  was  not  showing  the  strength  nor 
the  freshness  of  spirit  with  which  he  had 
started  out.  In  truth,  during  the  last  few 
minutes  both  had  failed  him  very  percepti- 
bly. His  steps  had  begun  to  lag,  his  face  was 
of  an  almost  livid  pallor,  and  he  was  panting 
for  breath. 

“ 0 Mr.  Walter ! ” exclaimed  Margaret,  as 
she  quickly  grasped  his  arm,  “ do  let  me  help 
you.  I forgot  how  weak  you  must  be  from 
staying  in  prison  so  long.  I have  been  going 
too  fast  for  you,  I am  sure.  And  it  has  been 
a tough  climb.  I declare  I’m  out  of  breath 
myself.” 

“ Do  not  mind  me,  Meg,”  he  begged,  and 
trying  to  encourage  her  with  a smile.  “ I 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  381 


shall  be  all  right  again  when  we  are  up  this 
ascent  and  I get  my  breath  again.  But  see, 
my  child,  what  is  this  ? The  light  of  day  ! 
Surely  my  eyes  do  not  deceive  me ! It  is, 
Margaret ! It  is  ! 0 how  sweet  to  see  God's 

sunlight  again ! There,  Meg,  put  out  your 
lantern.  We  shall  have  no  use  for  it  now, 
for  we  are  saved  ! ” 

He  sank  down  upon  the  floor  as  he  ceased 
speaking,  for  the  reaction  was  too  much  for 
him. 

“ Let  us  rest  just  a little  while,"  he  said  en- 
treatingly,  “ and  then  we’ll  go  on.  It  is  all 
clear  to  us  now." 

But  Margaret  did  not  yield  to  his  persua- 
sion. She  could  not,  for  she  had  seen  what 
he  had  not ; and  seeing  it,  had  grown  sick 
with  despair.  Her  suspicion  had  now  grown 
to  a certainty.  They  had  come  out  into  the 
marble  pagoda ! and  had  entered  the  chamber 
at  the  top,  which  was  furnished  with  half- 
circular openings  to  admit  light  and  air.  It 
was  this  light  that  young  Griffin  had  seen  as 
he  came  to  the  top  of  the  steps,  and  believed 
it  a glimpse  of  the  outside  world  into  which 
they  would  soon  pass  and  be  free. 


382  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

She  would  not  yet  undeceive  him.  Let 
him  revel  a little  longer  in  this  thought  as  he 
took  the  rest  he  needed  so  much. 

There  were  six  of  the  crescent-shaped  open- 
ings through  which  the  circular  chamber  was 
flooded  with  light.  They  were  about  two  feet 
across  at  their  widest  opening,  and  were  set 
at  such  a distance  from  the  floor  that,  as  Mar- 
garet approached  one  of  them  and  leaned  cau- 
tiously out,  the  lower  portion  caught  her  just 
below  the  shoulders. 

She  had  heard  Arthur  and  Wilbur  say  that 
the  marble  pagoda  stood  in  a secluded  portion 
of  the  grounds  looking  off  toward  the  moun- 
tains. It  was  not  likely  then  that  any  of  the 
priests  would  see  her,  yet  Margaret  was  very 
cautions  in  her  movements.  She  could  see 
nothing  from  this  side,  for  there  was  a steep 
cliff  in  the  way,  with  many  trees  crowning  it. 
She  passed  across  to  the  other  side,  and  now  a 
sharp  exclamation  escaped  her.  What  a glori- 
ous view  of  the  mountains  ! Unconsciously 
Margaret  leaned  further  out.  Then  some- 
thing else  besides  the  mountains  caught  her 
gaze.  A smoke  was  curling  upward  from  a 
spot  about  half-way  down  one  of  the  nearest 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  383 

mountainsides.  Suppose  it  were  a camp-fire ! 
It  was  not  much  beyond  the  noon  hour,  as 
she  had  seen  some  moments  ago  by  her  watch. 
Some  prospectors  might  even  now  be  enjoying 
their  midday  meal.  She  had  heard  her 
father  say  there  were  one  or  two  parties  in  the 
mountains. 

Obeying  an  irresistible  impulse,  Margaret 
leaned  out  as  far  as  she  dared  and  waved  her 
handkerchief.  Again  it  fluttered,  and  yet 
again.  It  seemed  an  absolute  piece  of  folly, 
as  she  realized  in  a moment  afterward,  for 
how  would  it  be  possible  for  them  to  see  it, 
and  under  the  eaves,  too  ? And  even  if  they 
did  see  it,  what  would  it  amount  to  ? 

A sound  in  young  Griffin’s  direction  at- 
tracted her  attention.  She  turned,  and  then 
with  a quick  cry  sped  toward  him.  His  head 
had  fallen  backward,  and  he  was  gasping  for 
breath.  As  Margaret  reached  him,  his  eyes 
closed,  a spasm  passed  over  his  face.  But  for 
the  strong,  young  arms  placed  so  quickly 
about  him,  he  would  have  fallen  over,  no 
doubt  striking  his  head  heavily  upon  the 
floor. 

Margaret  knelt  beside  him,  supporting  his 


384  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

weight  against  her.  She  called  to  him  again 
and  again,  but  there  was  no  response.  Her 
heart  was  beating  rapidly,  and  there  was  a 
choked  feeling  in  her  throat.  Had  he  only 
fainted,  or  was  he  in  reality  dead  ? Margaret 
would  not  entertain  this  last  supposition  for 
one  moment.  Arms  and  hands  were  supple, 
and  she  believed  that  he  was  still  breathing, 
though  so  faintly  that  she  could  not  be  sure. 

Margaret  worked  over  him . faithfully.  A 
half  hour  passed,  then  three-quarters,  ere  her 
efforts  were  fully  rewarded.  He  opened  his 
eyes  and  spoke  her  name. 

“ I’m  afraid  I fainted,’7  he  said.  “ Prison 
fare  and  that  sudden  rush  of  sunlight  and  air 
were  too  much  for  me.  But  come ! we  must 
be  going.  We  have  waited  too  long,  I am 
sure.  To  think  we  are  free  at  last,  Margaret  1 ” 

How  could  she  tell  him  ? But  bravely  it 
was  done.  It  took  him  many  moments  to 
recover  from  the  crushing  blow,  then  he  arose 
suddenly  with  much  of  the  old  resolution. 

“ Come,  Margaret,”  he  said,  almost  gaily. 
“We  are  not  recaptured  yet,  my  dear.  Let 
us  try  another  way,  even  if  we  have  to  go 
back  and  begin  again  at  the  very  beginning, 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  385 

to  the  landing  within  the  monastery,  in 
fact.” 

She  was  rejoiced  to  see  his  old  spirit  return, 
but  she  had  little  hope  now  that  they  would 
escape.  That  long  delay  within  the  pagoda 
would  no  doubt  prove  fatal. 

They  had  descended  the  stairway  into  the 
first  apartment  and  were  turning  to  seek  the 
flight  of  steps  that  led  down  into  the  water 
where  the  little  boat  was  moored,  when,  from 
the  direction  of  the  passageway,  came  a sound 
that  for  the  instant  held  them  immovable  with 
a sudden  paralyzing  terror.  It  was  the  sound 
of  rapidly  approaching  footsteps,  and  not  of 
one  person,  but  of  several ! 

“ Quick,  Margaret ! ” Walter  Griffin  whis- 
pered. “ We  must  make  a dash  for  the  boat, 
or  we  are  lost ! ” 

It  was  too  late  ! for  at  that  very  moment  the 
door  was  flung  open  and  two  priests  appeared 
upon  the  threshold,  bearing  torches.  And 
behind  them  was  the  astonished,  livid  face  of 
the  abbot  I 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  CHANG-SOP 

Yes,  there  were  the  priests,  and  there,  too, 
was  the  abbot ! yet  who  was  this  pressing  so 
close  upon  him?  And  yet  another  and  an- 
other of  the  dear  familiar  faces  ; Arthur,  her 
father,  Wilbur,  Stephen,  Dr.  Griffin,  the  young 
engineer,  Ernest  Warren,  and  even  Sarah ! 
Why  it  was  too  good  to  be  true ! 

A boy's  high-pitched  voice,  quivering  with 
emotion,  rang  through  the  apartment, 

“ O Meg,  to  think  it  was  really  you  Mr. 
Warren  saw  in  the  pagoda ! We  didn’t  be- 
lieve him  when  he  told  us.  My,  what  a lucky 
thing  he  had  his  field-glasses  on  the  pagoda 
just  when  you  waved ! O Meg,  you  dear 
old  thing — we  thought  you  were  dead ! ” 
Arthur  was  hugging  her  so  closely  she  had 
to  beg  him  to  give  her  a chance  to  breathe. 

“ And  who  is  this  with  you  ? ” he  cried  an 
instant  later,  as  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  figure, 
so  strangely  robed,  which  up  to  this  moment 
had  been  concealed  by  the  shadows. 

’386 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  387 

Another  voice  than  Margaret’s  answered 
the  question,  for  while  the  words  were  yet  on 
Arthur’s  lips,  Dr.  Griffin  sprang  forward  with 
a sharp  cry, 

“ Walter  ! My  dear  brother  ! It’s  Walter, 
Mr.  Vance,  Walter  ! ” 

As  the  brothers  clasped  each  other  in  a close 
embrace,  there  was  the  sound  of  sobbing  in 
more  than  one  direction,  but  they  were  sobs 
of  joy. 

And  now  Margaret  was  in  her  father’s  arms, 
then  in  Stephen’s,  and  Wilbur’s  and  Sarah’s, 
and  words  spoken  by  each  showed  how  sorely 
they  had  one  and  all  grieved  for  her. 

“ O it  was  terrible,  Meg  ! ” declared  Sarah, 
sobbing  it  all  out  on  Margaret’s  shoulder. 
“ We  just  would  not  give  up  and  believe  you 
dead,  though  those  old  priests,  especially  the 
abbot,  did  everything  they  could  to  prove  to 
us  that  you  were.  When  they  drove  us  away 
from  the  monastery,  we  took  refuge  in  the 
camp  with  Mr.  Warren  and  his  prospecting 
party.  To  think,  Margaret,  they  have  even 
dragged  the  river  for  your  body  ! ” and  Sarah 
shuddered. 

Margaret  had  the  hand  of  the  young  engi- 


388  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

neer  now,  and  was  shaking  it  gratefully,  while 
her  eyes  said  more  than  words  could  have  done. 

Questions  and  answers  were  flying  thick 
and  fast.  What  an  astounding  story  Margaret 
had  to  relate  ! But  only  the  bare  facts  could 
be  told  here.  Later  they  would  hear  it  all, 
and  that,  too,  of  Walter  Griffin.  The  earth- 
quake had  done  little  damage  in  the  newer 
parts  of  the  monastery.  Neither  had  those  at 
the  camp  suffered  by  it. 

The  abbot  had  for  some  moments  been  edg- 
ing around  them  as  they  talked,  as  though  he 
were  trying  to  get  behind  them  into  the  pas- 
sageway. He  was  brought  to  a sudden  stand- 
still by  Ernest  Warren’s  firm  hand  grasping 
his  shoulder. 

“ No,  indeed,  old  Crop  Hair,”  the  young 
man  said  determinately.  “ No  you  don’t. 
You’d  like,  no  doubt,  to  call  a lot  of  the 
monks  and  shut  us  up,  like  our  two  friends 
here.  But  it  won’t  do.  You’ll  stay  right 
here  beside  me  until  we  get  safely  out  of  this 
old  monastery,  which  is  too  much  like  a jail 
to  suit  me.” 

“ The  abbot  didn’t  want  to  come  with  us  at 
all,”  said  Stephen  to  Margaret.  “ Mr.  Warren 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  389 

just  had  to  make  him  do  it.  The  chang-sop 
declared  it  was  some  one  of  the  priests  Mr. 
Warren  had  seen,  by  means  of  his  field-glasses, 
in  the  old  pagoda.  I am  sure  he  didn’t  for  a 
moment  expect  to  find  you  here,  Meg,  much 
less  Mr.  Walter,  or  he  never  would  have  yielded 
to  Mr.  Warren’s  request.” 

The  abbot’s  face,  livid  with  rage  at  this 
moment,  plainly  showed  that  he  had  indeed 
been  unpleasantly  surprised. 

Their  first  thought  on  coming  out  of  the 
monastery  was  of  Myo-Sang,  or  Won-su,  as  he 
must  now  be  called.  He  had  recovered  con- 
sciousness, but  one  glance  of  Dr.  Griffin’s  prac- 
ticed eyes  showed  him  that  the  old  poleman 
had  not  long  to  live.  His  confession  was  con- 
trite and  full. 

Greed  had  been  the  worst  sin  of  which 
Won-su  had  been  guilty.  He  had  coveted  the 
golden  treasures  dug  by  Walter  Griffin  from 
the  hill  of  Nippoo-san,  and  all  his  scheming 
had  been  to  possess  them.  Yet  despite  his 
treachery  to  the  young  man  who  had  so  warmly 
befriended  him,  the  stolen  nuggets  had  done 
Won-su  little  good,  for  he  had  used  but  few  of 
them,  no  more,  in  fact,  than  would  have  been 


3go  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

his  share  for  services.  Every  time  he  had 
sought  to  make  use  of  them,  there  was  the 
haunting  fear  of  young  Griffin  to  deter  him, 
for  Won-su  was  confident  the  young  artist  was 
dead,  and  thus  in  the  spirit  world  would  have 
full  knowledge  of  all  his  old  servant’s  acts  in 
this  one. 

The  wrecking  of  the  sampan  had  indeed  oc- 
curred through  the  plotting  of  the  priests,  in 
which  plot  Pop-hung  had  been  an  active  con- 
spirator. He  and  the  polemen  were  paid  a 
large  sum  by  the  abbot  to  wreck  the  boat  and 
to  spread  the  report  that  the  young  artist  had 
gone  down  in  the  river.  Certain  of  the  vil- 
lagers had  also  been  bribed.  Won-su  was  to 
have  been  an  accomplice  and  to  have  shared 
the  reward,  but  at  the  last  moment  nerve  and 
heart  failed  him.  He  had  stolen  away,  bear- 
ing the  little  canvas  sack  of  nuggets  and  the 
cherry-wood  box  containing  the  sketches  and 
the  precious  manuscript,  which  Walter  Griffin 
had  more  than  once  begged  him  to  make  his 
special  care  in  the  event  anything  happened 
to  him  or  to  the  sampan. 

To  think  that,  after  all,  the  box  with  its 
precious  contents  and  even  the  most  of  the 


An  American  Girl  in  Korea  391 

nuggets  were  safe ! That  they  were,  in  fact, 
in  no  less  a place  of  concealment  than  the 
Marble  Pagoda  in  Seoul,  in  a spot  well  known 
to  Walter  Griffin. 

Won-su  could  never  get  up  the  courage  to 
carry  the  cherry-wood  box  and  its  contents  to 
Dr.  Griffin,  as  instructed  to  do,  lest  he  be  ques- 
tioned about  the  nuggets  and  also  about  the 
master  to  whom  he  had  proven  unfaithful. 
Two  or  three  times  he  had  gone  to  the  pagoda 
to  get  the  box  for  delivery,  but  each  time  his 
courage  had  failed  and  he  had  returned  it  to 
its  hiding-place.  It  was  at  one  of  these  times 
that  Margaret  had  seen  him. 

Won-su’s  visit  to  Pop-hung  had  been  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  him  to  join  with  him — 
Won-su — in  telling  the  truth  about  the  wreck 
of  the  sampan ; but  Pop-hung  had  been  ob- 
stinate. Only  on  one  condition  would  he 
yield,  and  that  was  that  Won-su  disclose  the 
whereabouts  of  the  gold  nuggets  and  promise 
to  share  them  with  him.  The  young  artist's 
people,  Pop-hung  argued,  need  never  know 
but  that  the  nuggets  had  gone  to  the  bottom 
of  the  river  with  the  other  effects. 


392  An  American  Girl  in  Korea 

At  last  they  were  on  board  their  newly  pur- 
chased sampan  and  homeward  bound. 

“ I told  you,”  said  Mr.  Vance  suddenly,  as 
his  arm  stole  fondly  about  Margaret,  “ that 
wise  men  had  declared  that  one  girl  of  the 
right  sort  is  worth  a dozen  boys  in  any  mar- 
ket.” 

“ One  of  the  wise  men  must  be  yourself, 
uncle,  I am  sure,”  remarked  Wilbur  slyly. 

“You  are  right,  father,”  declared  Arthur. 

“ Make  it  a million,  sir,  and  you  will  come 
nearer  the  number  ! ” exclaimed  Walter  Grif- 
fin in  reply  to  Mr.  Vance.  “ Yes,”  he  added, 
as  his  eyes,  radiant  with  gratitude,  sought 
Margarets,  “ to  me  the  value  of  this  one  girl 
in  question  is  far  above  that  of  the  whole  world 
of  boys.” 


